The crowd went wild when MS Dhoni came to bat for Chennai against Lucknow in the team’s first home match of the Indian T20 League 2023 on Monday. The fact that it was Dhoni’s first match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in over three years added to the significance of the occasion.
To add to these celebrations, Dhoni batted in the 20th over and hit a massive six off the first ball he faced against Mark Wood. He also hit a six on the next ball he faced. Dhoni thus became the seventh player in the Indian T20 League to reach 5,000 runs. The other members of the elite club are Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, David Warner, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, and AB de Villiers.
Here are MS Dhoni’s consecutive sixes
MS Dhoni's two consecutive sixes tonight.
This man's aura is unmatchable! pic.twitter.com/RwADVJl6Pb
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 3, 2023
In the rest of the innings, Ruturaj Gaikwad hit his second consecutive fifty and shared 110 runs for the first wicket with Devon Conway (47 off 29), as Chennai posted a commanding 217 for 7 against Lucknow.
Following his 92 in the first game, Gaikwad smashed 57 off 31 balls with three fours and four sixes in the second game. Conway, who hit five boundaries and two over-the-fence hits, provided solid support. Ravi Bishnoi (3/28) and Mark Wood (3/49) each took three wickets for Lucknow.
Following a loss to Gujarat in the first game at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the Men in Yellow would look for a win and a chance to advance in the tournament. The four-time champions had a disastrous season in 2022, finishing ninth in the points table. They would look to do well and make the playoffs this time.
This could very well be the team skipper MS Dhoni’s last season in the Indian T20 League. There have been numerous reports of the same as the 2011 and 2007 World Cup-winning captain retired from international cricket in 2022. The Yellow army would want to finish off the season with their fifth title to honour their Thala’s legacy.
