The crowd in Chennai, and indeed in any part of the country during the Indian Premier League (IPL), erupts in three specific situations: when a boundary is hit, a wicket falls, or when MS Dhoni makes an appearance, irrespective of his actions. In fact, a unique IPL statistic introduced by broadcaster Star Sports in IPL 2024, which measured the decibel level of spectators at a given moment, recorded the loudest cheers when Dhoni walked onto the field before the toss during the season opener in Chennai.
Camera crews covering CSK matches in the ongoing IPL 2024 are well aware of the fans’ adoration for Dhoni. Consequently, they often provide glimpses of the former Chennai captain in the dressing room, observing the progress of the game during their team’s batting innings. Each time, the crowd goes into a frenzy.
However, during Monday’s remarkable partnership between CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shivam Dubey in the match against Lucknow Super Giants at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, a different scene unfolded. When the cameraman zoomed in on Dhoni, he appeared annoyed and threatened the individual with the water bottle in his hand before the camera refocused on the match proceedings.
Gaikwad etched his name in history as the first CSK captain to score a century in IPL history, clobbering an unbeaten 108 off just 60 balls. Dubey also played a blistering knock, smashing a 22-ball 50 on his way to 66 runs, as the pair stitched together a 104-run stand to power the home team to a commanding total of 210 for four. This was the third-highest fourth-wicket partnership for CSK in IPL history, after the 109* partnership between MS Dhoni and S Badrinath in 2010 and the 108* partnership between Dhoni and Mike Hussey in 2014.
Dhoni, acknowledging the raucous CSK crowd, stepped out to bat with two balls remaining. Gaikwad gave him the strike for the final delivery, and the legendary cricketer showcased his class by guiding Marcus Stoinis’ fuller delivery for a boundary through deep mid-wicket.
