Mahendra Singh Dhoni made his highly anticipated return to Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, April 8th, the same ground where he hit the iconic six that led India to their first ODI World Cup title 12 years ago. This time, he played a vital role in helping the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) secure a win against the Mumbai Indians, possibly marking his final competitive appearance at the legendary venue.
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WE WANT DHONI __
WORLD IS HIS TERRITORY, @msdhoni __ pic.twitter.com/1n3Rv6RqSf
— Vivek. (@imvikky07) April 8, 2023
In the first El Clasico of IPL 2023, the four-time IPL champions CSK faced off against MI. The Men in Yellow secured a seven-wicket victory in a one-sided match. Ajinkya Rahane was the top-scorer for Chennai, scoring 61 runs from 27 balls. He was supported by Ruturaj Gaikwad, who remained unbeaten on 40 runs from 36 balls, helping the nine-time IPL finalists chase down the target of 158 runs in just 18.1 overs, losing only three wickets.
Although Dhoni didn't get a chance to bat in the match, he made his presence felt by taking a superb catch of world No. 1 T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav behind the wickets and challenging the umpire's call, ultimately succeeding with the DRS. Dhoni's catch and review showed a clear spike between the bat and ball, despite the on-field umpire being unconvinced of Surya's dismissal.
While Dhoni was set to bat during the run chase, the passionate crowd at Wankhede Stadium started chanting his name at the top of their voices, chanting "We want Dhoni, we want Dhoni," with several videos of the chants going viral on social media.
The win against MI was CSK's second in three matches of IPL 2023, moving them up to the third position in the points table. Meanwhile, MI have yet to secure a win and are currently in eighth place in the 10-team points table after suffering two defeats. Dhoni's contributions in the field, as well as his iconic presence, continue to captivate fans around the world.
