He may have given up the captaincy, but MS Dhoni was apparently responsible for proceedings at Wankhede Stadium as the Chennai Super Kings defended a paltry 131 overall against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) opening game.
MS Dhoni was spotted chatting with head coach Stephen Fleming as CSK during a strategic time-out as KKR openers Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer gave the former champions a good start to their 132 chase.
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Immediately after the players took their positions on the field after the break, MS Dhoni was spotted changing the field and getting his teammates to cover the angles at Wankhede Stadium.
Control remained with Ravindra Jadeja, who started the changes early in the KKR innings, but when things got tense, Jadeja seemed happy to enlist the help of the legendary leader.
Dhoni was caught on the stump mic and instructed the fielders to take their positions properly. Dhoni had also been an influential figure for Team India after resigning from the captaincy. Led by Virat Kohli, the Jharkhand wicketkeeper often tended field finishes between 2017 and 2020, making full use of his advantage as a wicketkeeper.
REACHED 50 AS DHONI SPECIAL
Notably, MS Dhoni helped the Chennai Super Kings stay in contention by hitting a 38-ball 50, his first half-century in the IPL in 3 years. With the late blitz in the Wankhede, Dhoni broke Rahul Dravid’s record for the oldest Indian to score in half a century in the T20 league’s 15-year history.
Dhoni had decided to step down from the Chennai Super Kings captaincy and hand over the baton to Ravindra Jadeja two days before the start of the 2022 IPL in Mumbai. He has won 4 titles including 2021 when World Cup winners helped CSK fight back after a horror season in the UAE in 2020 to finish with the trophy.
In particular, Ravindra Jadeja said he is excited for MS Dhoni’s contribution in the 2022 IPL season as he steps into the role of CSK captain.
Thalaivan Irukkindran! ??#MainHoonNa #WhistlePodu #Yellow #CSKvKKR pic.twitter.com/ZIfCILj8t5
– Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 26, 2022
“I feel good. At the same time, I have big footsteps to fill like Mahi Bhai, who has already left a great legacy, so I have to keep going,” said Ravindra Jadeja after taking over as CSK captain.
“I don’t have to worry too much because he’s here, so I’ll definitely go to him if I have any questions. He will be my contact, he was and still is today. I’m not too concerned. So thank you all for your wishes and love Cheers,” added Jadeja.
