Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 kicked off with a bang with a high-octane opener between four-time holders Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and defending Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday (March 31).
It was no less than a treat for the cricket fans to finally witness their superstar MS Dhoni returning back to cricket field. Gujarat Titans skipper Hardik Pandya opted to field first after winning the toss. CSK rode on Ruturaj Gaikwad's blistering 92 off 50 to post a challenging total of 178/7. But the highlight of the CSK's innings was Dhoni's batting which reminded everyone of his vintage self. Dhoni received a rousing welcome from the crowd. Dhoni turned back the clock and did what exactly he is known for.
In the 20th over of CSK's innings Dhoni unleashed the beast in him and dispatched Joshua Little for a massive six on the leg side. Not just this, Dhoni followed it up with a cracking four in the same area.
Here's the viral video…
Dhoni ended up scoring an unbeaten 14 off 7 balls riding on a four and a maximum as CSK forged a 179-run target for GT to chase. With the solitary six Dhoni completed his 200th six in the glitzy league and became only the fifth cricketer to touch this rate milestone. Besides Dhoni, Chris Gayle, AB De Villiers, Virat Kohli and Kieron Pollard are the only batters who have cracked 200 or more sixes in IPL for a single franchise. The 2023 season of the league is widely expected to be MS Dhoni's last; however, the CSK skipper is yet to make a confirmation on the same. Many former cricketers including Dhoni's former teammate Shane Watson, however, believe that the wicketkeeper-batter could play for CSK for 2-3 years more.
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