3 MS Dhoni cameos for CSK that impressed the audience in the last few IPL Seasons

On Monday, April 3, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni made a fantastic cameo against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

As openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (57 off 31) and Devon Conway (47 off 29) added 110 for the first wicket, Dhoni (12 off three) and Ambati Rayudu (27* off 14) completed CSK’s innings.

The Chennai skipper batted at No. 8 again and hammered the first two balls he saw for sixes before getting caught trying a third big shot.

As Ravindra Jadeja was removed, Dhoni stepped to the crease in the final over. Mark Wood’s first delivery was a swift and broad delivery. The seasoned keeper-batter struck the ball powerfully, and it sailed over third man and landed behind the ropes.

The following delivery was a short one, and Dhoni pulled it, sending the ball over deep square leg as the fans erupted.

The cameo by the CSK skipper ended when he sliced the following delivery to deep cover. It was a brief visit, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

On that topic, here are three MS Dhoni cameos for CSK that have impressed fans in prior IPL seasons.

#3 (14* off 7) vs Gujarat Titans – IPL 2023

Dhoni made an impression during the Chennai Super Kings’ match against the Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2023 opening at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Gujarat won the toss and elected to bowl first. Ruturaj Gaikwad led the way with 92 points off 50 shots, while the rest of the team struggled to make an impact.

After a couple of blistering blows, Dhoni stepped in and reset the clock. In the last over, he faced left-arm pacer Joshua Little and smashed him for a six and a four. The right-handed hitter started with a back-of-a-length delivery over deep square leg, which brought out his famous pull stroke.

The following pitch was a hit-me delivery. Little bowled one on the pads, and Dhoni flicked it over square leg with perfection for a boundary.

Chennai recorded a competitive 178/7 thanks to the CSK captain’s late surge. However, it was insufficient as Gujarat chased down the score in 19.2 overs.’

#2 (28* off 13) vs Mumbai Indians – IPL 2022

There were doubts over Dhoni’s form before of the IPL 2022. While the iconic cricketer did not have a great season overall, he delivered a magnificent cameo of 28* in 13 balls as CSK upset Mumbai Indians (MI) in an exciting last-ball finish.

Chasing 156, Chennai needed 17 points from the last over, which quickly became 16 points from four balls. Dhoni then smashed Jaydev Unadkat’s third delivery of the over into the sightscreen for a six.

The next ball was a bouncer, which the CSK captain took advantage of by pulling over short fine leg for a boundary.

The equation was four off the last ball. Dhoni has again triumphed under pressure, like he has so many times in his illustrious cricketing career.

Pacer with the left arm Unadkat delivered a low full throw. The CSK batsman saw that the fine leg was up and sliced the ball through the unoccupied zone for a boundary, adding another chapter to his series of spectacular finishes.

#1 (18* off 6) vs Delhi Capitals – IPL 2021, Qualifier 1

Chennai Super Kings trailed Delhi Capitals (DC) in Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2021 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

CSK needed 24 points in the final two overs of their 173-run chase. The equation became more difficult when Avesh Khan removed Ruturaj Gaikwad (70) at the opening of the penultimate over.

Avesh’s sixth delivery of the over was short, and Dhoni blasted a flat pull over deep mid-wicket. It came down to 13 runs off the final six balls, but MSD didn’t require the full over. In the penultimate over, he clobbered Tom Curran for three fours, propelling CSK to the IPL 2021 final.

The first four were slashed across the cover, and the second were inside-edged to the fine-leg boundary. Dhoni scored the winning runs with a short slower ball outside off stump beyond square.

CSK went on to win the IPL 2021 final by 27 runs over the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Also Read: 5 IPL Teams With The Lowest Points In One Season (cricfiles.com)