The 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League begins with a blockbuster encounter between defending champions Gujarat Titans and the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings on March 31. The CSK will be eyeing a much-improved season from 2022, where they finished a dismal ninth with four wins in 14 matches. The second-most successful team in IPL history, Super Kings have won the title on four occasions – all coming under Dhoni's captaincy.
Justifiably, there have been a number of unforgettable moments in CSK's history; whether it be their first title when they defeated Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians in the final, or their incredible return to the tournament in 2018 after a two-year suspension, when they cruised past Sunrisers Hyderabad to win a third title. However, the franchise's star former cricketer Suresh Raina – who was fondly called ‘Mr.IPL’ during his playing days – has pin-pointed his ‘favourite moment’ featuring Dhoni, and no, it wasn't the title win, but a match from IPL 2010.
Also read: CSK handed Ben Stokes blow days before opening IPL 2023 match against GT
Dhoni hit the winning runs against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in CSK's final league match of the season, thus ensuring the side's qualification to the playoffs of the tournament. The win allowed CSK to finish third in the table, and Dhoni, who played a brilliant 54-run knock off just 29 deliveries, had a rare show of emotions as he punched his helmet following the win.
{{/usCountry}}Dhoni hit the winning runs against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in CSK's final league match of the season, thus ensuring the side's qualification to the playoffs of the tournament. The win allowed CSK to finish third in the table, and Dhoni, who played a brilliant 54-run knock off just 29 deliveries, had a rare show of emotions as he punched his helmet following the win.
{{/usCountry}}“I was in the dressing room. He hit the six in Dharamshala during that IPL match and punched his helmet. I never saw him doing that ever, even when he used to practice in nets or if he got caught up in some fight. That meant something to him. And it was a learning lesson for all of us on how important it is to take your team to win from a pressure situation,” Raina said on ‘My Time with Dhoni’ on JioCinema.
Raina had also played a brisk 46-run knock off 27 deliveries in the run-chase. CSK eventually defeated the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in the semi-final of the tournament to set up a final against Mumbai Indians, eventually beating the latter by 22 runs to win their first title.