MS Dhoni has arrived and how! The cricketer turned back the clock with a stunning all-round show on Monday by bagging Player of the Match award as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by five wickets at the Ekana Stadium in IPL 2025.
At 43, Dhoni reminded fans of his vintage brilliance—finishing strong with an unbeaten 26 off just 11 balls and playing a key role behind the stumps with three dismissals. This match-winning knock earned Dhoni his first Player of the Match award in five years, the last one coming back in 2019.
Acknowledging CSK’s poor run this IPL season, Dhoni said, “Good to win a game. Unfortunately the games haven’t gone our way, but this gives a lot of confidence to the team.”
Dhoni’s unbeaten 57-run partnership with Shivam Dube, who stayed not out on 43, proved crucial in sealing CSK’s second win of the season and reminded fans why Dhoni is still one of the most trusted finishers in the game.
True to his humble style, Dhoni admitted after the game that others might have deserved the award more. Speaking after the match, Dhoni said that he felt others in the team were more deserving of the Player of the Match award.
He specifically praised Noor Ahmad for his bowling performance and pointed out that the team did particularly well during the new ball spell and the phase when Noor and Jadeja bowled four to five overs together. “Even today, I was like, why are they giving me the award? I feel Noor Ahmad bowled well,” Dhoni said.
Dhoni was also happy to finally break Chennai Super Kings’ losing streak in the ongoing 18th season of the IPL. In the match against Lucknow Super Giants, he also reached a major milestone by becoming the first wicketkeeper to record over 200 dismissals in IPL history.
He said the win was important for the team’s confidence, especially after several matches hadn’t gone their way. Dhoni felt this victory would help the team find some momentum and work on the areas they need to improve.
Even with this win, CSK are still at the bottom of the points table. Their next match is against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on April 20, 2025.
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Dhoni delivers a finisher’s masterclass with milestone moments! Fans call it ‘Captain Cool’s Comeback’ – financialexpress.com
