CSK vs. KKR, IPL 2022: Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium roared ‘dhoni, dhoni chants’ as the former Chennai captain brought back memories of his old self and hit a fast fifty to help CSK, 131 in 20 to post overs in the prelude.
CSK vs. KKR: MS Dhoni greeted with loud cheers in Mumbai (courtesy of BCCI)
HIGHLIGHTS
- MS Dhoni hit his first IPL 50 in 3 years on Saturday
- Wankhede went “Dhoni, Dhoni” and cheered the former CSK captain
- Dhoni’s fifty helped CSK to a par total of 131 against KKR
MS Dhoni may not be the captain of the Chennai Super Kings anymore but he received the loudest cheers as expected when he took the field at Wankhede Stadium during the opener of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday.
Ravindra Jadeja, who took over as CSK captain, walked to the toss alongside Shreyas Iyer as the crowd confirmed IPL 2022’s return to the homesteads amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
IPL 2022: full coverage
Things didn’t start well for the Chennai Super Kings, fan favorites at Wankhede Stadium, however, even though a good chunk of the 25 per cent crowd in Mumbai was filled with yellow shirts.
After losing early starters Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway, Chennai attempted to rebuild through Robin Uthappa and Ambati Rayudu but the former, who seemed poised, was caught off guard by brilliant work from Sheldon Jackson.
Shortly after, Chennai lost Robin Uthappa after a mix-up between him and his captain Jadeja, after which they lost new signing Shivam Dube cheaply.
WANKHEDE GOES ‘DHONI, DHONI’
ICYMI: A mighty roar and a warm welcome from the Wankhede crowd for the Legendary @msdhoni ?? ?? ??#TAAIPL | #CSKvKKR pic.twitter.com/6ZecoUHgbU
— Indian Premier League (@IPL) March 26, 2022
Chennai faltered 61-5 in the 11th over but the crowd in Mumbai began to cheer on oncoming batsman Dhoni. The chants of “Dhoni, Dhoni” echoed through the stands as the former captain walked into the middle.
Dhoni took his time and struggled with timing, but Dhoni picked up some momentum and hit a quick fifty to help Chennai Super Kings reach a 20-plus total
Dhoni and Jadeja added 70 runs for the 6-hour wicket as the Chennai Super Kings increased their score to 131 for 5 in 20 overs. The two added 47 runs in the last 3 overs as Dhoni took his fans down memory lane.
Dhoni wowed fans, hitting 7 limits and a 6 while going unbeaten at 50, his first half-century in the IPL in 3 years.
