MS Dhoni came. MS Dhoni hit sixes and MS Dhoni walked off. it was a memorable return to the Wankhede for the World Cup hero as the former CSK captain took fans down memory lane with a sensational onslaught against MI captain Hardik Pandya at the iconic venue in an IPL 2024 El Clasico on Sunday, April 14. Dhoni walked into bat with 4 deliveries left in the final over and hit 3 of them into the stands.
The decibel levels at the Wankhede Stadium hit the roof when MS Dhoni walked out to bat for CSK and he left the ground at the mid-innings break with a heartwarming gesture. Dhoni was seen rushing off the field after his whirlwind knock of 20 off 4. However, while climbing the iconic Wankhede Stadium, Dhoni took a moment to take one of the match balls he smashed into the stands and handed it to a young fan, who was waiting along the fence to catch a glimpse of the superstar cricketer.
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The gesture was captured on TV cameras as Dhoni made sure the fans had their money’s worth with his cameo appearance at the Wankhede Stadium, which was roaring for him.
MS Dhoni was in vintage touch as he tore into Hardik Pandya, who was thrown off the radar by the onslaught from his former India captain. Hardik Pandya fed Dhoni with ordinary balls, something that left legendary Sunil Gavaskar fuming in the commentary box.
Dhoni’s late blitz made sure the Super Kings posted a challenging total of 206 for 4. Hardik Pandya leaked 26 runs in the final over as he completed his 3-over quota with 43 runs while picking up 2 wickets.
MS DHONI’S NUMBERS IN 20TH OVERS IN IPL
Dhoni’s staggering legend only grew as he took his late-overs hitting statistics to another level. The former CSK captain has struck 64 sixes in the 20th overs in his IPL career. The wicketkeeper-batter has hit 756 runs in 309 deliveries he faced in the 20th overs of IPL matches.
Earlier in the day, CSK got off to a wobbly start as they lost makeshift opener Ajinkya Rahane early. However, captain Ruturaj Gaikwad stepped up and hit 69 off 40 while Shivam Dube hit 66 off 38 balls as the Super Kings picked up 126 runs in their last 10 overs against arch-rivals MI on Sunday.