New Delhi, 1 April 2024
Former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni stole the spotlight during the Chennai Super Kings’ encounter against the Delhi Capitals, despite facing a defeat at the hands of the opponents. Batting coach Mike Hussey made a bold prediction about former captain MS Dhoni well in advance of the match against Delhi Capitals on Sunday in Vizag, despite the fact that the batting prowess of the Chennai Super Kings top 5 was sufficient for the defending champions to win two straight games at home. Dhoni watched and applauded the proceedings from the pavilion amid the crowd’s anticipation to witness him bat.
With the match slipping away from Chennai’s grasp, Dhoni showcased his trademark finesse by smashing a “never-seen-before” six off the final delivery of the game. In the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, where Dhoni had struck a record-breaking 148 against Pakistan nineteen years back. In his flawless 37 off of 16 balls, Dhoni smashed four boundaries and three sixes, taking into account the net run rate component, even though Chennai was well out of the chase of 192.
In front of an excited Vizag audience, the majority of whom were dressed in yellow and wearing the legendary No. 7 jersey, Dhoni hit the last ball of the match, a low full toss outside off, for a six high over extra cover against Anrich Nortje.
In the game, DC beat CSK by 20 runs to win their first IPL 2024 match, while also delivering the defending champions their first loss of the season. Pacers Khaleel Ahmed (2/21) and Mukesh Kumar (3/21) puzzled CSK, who were chasing a 192-run mark, and they ended up at 171 for six.
