In CSK’s final home game, CSK skipper MS Dhoni did a special lap of honour in the IPL 2023 season. According to the article reported on NDTV Sports Desk, he also gave away artifacts, giving a huge indication amid the rumor surrounding his future.
While playing his last season in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the special lap of honour was performed at the home ground in Chepauk, thanking fans for all the support they have given him and the team over the years. The match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders ended in a defeat for Chennai Super Kings, yet Dhoni had a smile on his face as he strolled around the stadium, thanking the supporters and shaking hands with the security guards. This was probably a big hit about what the future holds for him. Though CSK will return to Chepauk, provided their quality for the playoffs shows progression to that stage of the season, which is still not a guarantee yet.
Holding a racquet in one hand, Dhoni was seen hitting some balls into the crowd before tossing a few jerseys in that direction. This was a certain hint about him being a player of CSK in the CSK jersey. The police officers there had their moments as well, shaking hands with the captain and asking for his autograph. While seeing their favourite player, even the spectators went berserk leading their team out after the game and batting great Sunil Gavaskar ran up to the two-time World Cup-winning captain for an autograph. CSK however lost the game by six wickets and the match did not turn in favour of them. MS Dhoni said that provided the conditions, including dew, the match witnessed a big impact.
In the second innings, the dew made a big difference. Spectators said that they cannot blame any of the bowlers. Due to the conditions posing a big impact on the game, Dhoni, waving to the crowd commented about it at the post-match presentation. He also added that when they bowled the first ball in the second innings, they knew that they needed 180 which weren’t possible to score on that pitch. CSK’s batting performance after winning the toss was merely 144 for six. Top-scorer Shivam Dube scored an unbeaten 48 off 34 balls at the Chepauk while there were two wickets apiece for KKR spinners Sunil Narina (2/15) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/36). KKR also face some early hiccups while chasing 145 for victory before reaching the target in 18.3 over’s with Rinku Singh and skipper Nitish Rana making 54 and unbeaten 57 respectively.
In spite of his side losing to Nitish Rana’s team, CSK captain MS Dhoni made sure to thank the home supporters for their love and support as he made his way around the stadium. IPL 2023 is expected to be Dhoni’s final season in the league. The night witnessed an awful event, following the conclusion of the game. The security officials at the ground and some of the other staff were also spotted clicking pictures and taking Dhoni’s autograph as they bid farewell to the skipper. His gestures hinted to his fan base that he might be ready to finally hang up his boots at the end of the ongoing season.
