CSK vs KKR: MS Dhoni takes fans down memory lane, becomes oldest Indian to hit IPL half-century
India Today
IPL 2022, CSK vs KKR: MS Dhoni ended a 2-year-long wait for an IPL fifty as the former Chennai skipper hit 50 not out in just 38 balls. Dhoni's late blitz helped Chennai recover from a poor start to post 131 on the board in Mumbai.
MS Dhoni showed flashes of his vintage self with the bat as the Chennai Super Kings star put on a show to hit a 38-ball fifty against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 opener at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
After being welcomed to the field by loud "Dhoni, Dhoni" cheers from the Wankhede Stadium crowd on Saturday, Dhoni took fans down memory lane, taking his own sweet time to get going. Dhoni walked into bat when CSK were in trouble, reeling at 61 for 5 in the 11th over with very little contributions from the top-order.
Dhoni was struggling to get going as new KKR captain Shreyas Iyer used his spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine against the former CSK captain. At one point, Dhoni was batting on 15 from 25 balls but the World Cup-winning former skipper got going in the 18th over bowled by Andre Russell.
MSD Thala.! #WhistlePodu #Yellove #CSKvKKR pic.twitter.com/H3FQj9oxlE
Dhoni found some momentum and took the attack to Russell, hitting the West Indies all-rounder for 3 boundaries in the 18th over after which he hit the first maximum of his innings in Shivam Mavi's 19th over.
Dhoni, much like his heydays, gave the Chennai innings the much-needed late impetus, hitting 7 boundaries and a six. He made 50 not out in just 38 balls with his last 35 runs coming in just 13 balls.
With his 24th IPL fifty, Dhoni ended a 2-year-long wait for a half-century in the cash-rich T20 league. Before Saturday, Dhoni had last scored a fifty in IPL 2019.
