MS Dhoni’s enduring popularity in the cricketing world was once again evident during the Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The mere sight of the former CSK skipper in the dressing room during the 17th over of the innings sent waves of excitement and cheers through the crowd at Chepauk.
The camera diligently captured every corner of the ground, ensuring not to miss a single moment featuring Dhoni. As the camera lingered on his extended appearance on the big screen, Dhoni couldn’t help but notice, prompting the crowd to erupt into prolonged cheers. However, Dhoni humorously expressed his frustration at the extended screen time by pretending to throw a water bottle at the camera.
The incident quickly caught the attention of social media users, leading to the viral spread of the video clip across various platforms. It served as a testament to Dhoni’s enduring popularity and the immense joy that even the slightest glimpse of him brings to his fans.
Meanwhile, on the field, Marcus Stoinis smashed an outstanding century to trump Ruturaj Gaikwad’s effort as LSG beat CSK by six wickets. Stoinis remained unbeaten on 124 off 63 balls with 13 fours and six sixes, guiding LSG to a record run chase at the Chepauk in 19.3 overs. This was also the highest individual score in IPL in a run-chase.
Earlier, skipper Gaikwad led from the front with a superb 60-ball unbeaten 108 as CSK posted a challenging 210 for 4. Gaikwad’s knock, his second IPL hundred, was studded with 12 fours and three sixes. Shivam Dube muscled his way to a 27-ball-66, hitting seven sixes.
Despite CSK’s strong batting performance, LSG’s bowlers managed to restrict them to a manageable total. Avesh Khan was the pick of the bowlers, taking 2 for 33 in his four overs.
In the chase, LSG got off to a flying start thanks to a 61-run opening partnership between KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock. Rahul was dismissed for 30, but de Kock continued to anchor the innings, scoring a valuable 45.
Stoinis then took center stage, unleashing a barrage of boundaries to propel LSG towards victory. He was ably supported by Deepak Hooda, who scored a quickfire 34 off 20 balls.
With this victory, LSG moved to the top of the IPL 2024 standings, while CSK slipped to the bottom.
