MS Dhoni turns back the clock to put on vintage death-hitting; CSK snap winless streak: ‘Veteran finishing things off’
IPL 2025, LSG vs CSK: MS Dhoni turns back the clock to guide Chennai Super Kings to a memorable victory at the Ekana.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni rolled back the time as he played an unbeaten knock of 26 runs off 11 balls to help the side win the contest against Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets in an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. The right-handed batter took Avesh Khan and Shardul Thakur to the cleaners in the death overs as CSK registered a memorable win in front of a jam-packed crowd at the Ekana.
Dhoni walked out to bat in the 15th over after Vijay Shankar returned to the hut off Digvesh Singh Rathi's bowling. When the batter walked out to the middle, CSK needed 52 runs off 30 balls.
To everyone's surprise, Rishabh Pant held Ravi Bishnoi back, which led to Dhoni getting his eye in. He didn't waste any time in going after Avesh.
Shivam Dube provided ample support to MS Dhoni in the end, and the duo ensured CSK's second victory of the season in IPL 2025.
Even Shardul Thakur wasn't spared, as Dhoni was in no mood to let another loss come his way. In the final two overs, CSK needed 24 runs to win. Shardul bowled the penultimate over of the game. On the first ball, the left-handed Dube hit a boundary, which was followed by a no-ball six.
Dube then took the single, and the equation was simple: 12 runs off 10 balls. The right-handed batter then got a reprieve as Ravi Bishnoi dropped the catch of Dhoni, much to the jubilation of the entire crowd.
On the final ball of the 19th over, Dhoni hit a boundary to bring the equation down to 5 runs of 6 balls. Shivam Dube took a single off the first ball of the final over, with CSK needing 4 runs off 5 balls. The CSK captain then ran a quick single. Shivam Dube then did what was needed, hitting a boundary, ensuring a five-wicket win for CSK with three balls to spare.
In the end, Dhoni remained unbeaten on 26 off 11 balls with the help of 4 fours and 1 six. On the other hand, Shivam Dube also marched off with an unbeaten 43-run knock.
When CSK won the contest, former West Indies batter Darren Ganga said on air, “Veteran finishing things off.”
Dhoni has a good game
The CSK captain had a good overall outing, as he was sublime with the gloves on. During LSG's innings, Dhoni became the first wicket-keeper in the IPL's history to have more than 200 dismissals in the tournament.
Earlier, CSK captain Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl first. LSG posted 166/7 in the 20 overs owing to a 63-run knock by captain Rishabh Pant.
Despite the win against LSG, CSK remain at the bottom of the table with 4 points from 7 matches. The team will next take on Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Sunday, April 20.
