Watch: Dhoni walks out to bat at Chepauk before CSK's IPL 2023 opener; Thala's iconic entry sends goosebumps in Chennai
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) faithful was busy chanting 'Dhoni-Dhoni' as MS Dhoni's stylish entry brought a huge round of applause at the Chepauk. CSK will meet Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans (GT) in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 opener on Friday.
After a quick session of spray painting in which he showed his love for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) faithful, legendary cricketer MS Dhoni walked out to bat during a practice match in front of thousands of supporters at the famous MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday. Nicknamed Thala, the former India captain made his presence felt at the Chepauk ahead of CSK's campaign opener against Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 2023.
Dhoni was greeted with a deafening roar when the CSK captain graced the Chepauk pitch during the warm-up game. A video of Dhoni making a grand entry at the Chepauk was also shared by the official social media handle of the Super Kings franchise. CSK fans were serenading Dhoni when the legendary cricketer stepped out from the dugout at the Chepauk. The Chepauk crowd was busy chanting 'Dhoni-Dhoni' as Thala's arrival brought a huge round of applause. The video soon became the talk of the town on the internet.
Dhoni will lead former champions Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming season of the IPL. Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings finished ninth in the 10-team tournament last season. The Yellow Brigade won four games and suffered 10 defeats in the league stage of the cash-rich tournament. Dhoni and Co. only amassed eight points in 14 matches last season. The 41-year-old was reinstated as the leader of the Chennai franchise after veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja relinquished the CSK captaincy to focus on his individual performance. Dhoni's CSK will meet Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2023 opener on Friday at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
While speedster Mukesh Choudhary is a doubtful starter, the overseas duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana will join the CSK camp after playing their trade with Sri Lanka in the white-ball series against New Zealand. Earlier, CSK had roped in England's Ben Stokes for a staggering sum of INR 16.25 crore at the IPL 2023 auction. The four-time champions also acquired the services of former India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane for IPL 2023. Chennai Super Kings have returned to the Chepauk Stadium for their first complete IPL season at home since 2019.
