MS Dhoni has been an inspirational figure for CSK since the launch of IPL in 2008. It would not be wrong to say that the two are synonymous. Led by MS Dhoni, CSK has become the most consistent team in the history of IPL. It’s not that he’s known as Chennai’s favorite son. Under his leadership, CSK won the IPL for the fifth time in 2023, equaling the record. He gave up the captaincy ahead of the 2024 season and is now led by Ruturaj Gaikwad. MS Dhoni still gets the loudest cheers every time his face appears on the television screen.
He is also an inspirational figure for CSK players. The same was seen during CSK’s IPL 2024 match against Gujarat Titans on Tuesday when Sri Lanka’s Matheesha Pathirana touched MS Dhoni’s feet before she started bowling. He was playing in his first game of the season. Dhoni then blessed him.
Pathirana took MS Dhoni’s blessing before bowling so fit! pic.twitter.com/xPVFkOrsf4
— DIPTI MSDIAN (@Diptiranjan_7) March 27, 2024
Yet another youngster praised Dhoni. Chennai Super Kings batsman Sameer Rizvi praises Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his small but fast and powerful knock in his first IPL match Impact, he said the former India captain advised him to play his natural game against the Gujarat Giants.
Rizvi came up with a six-ball 14-run stand against GT on Tuesday night, including two sixes against Rashid Khan.
“Bhaiya (Dhoni) told me to play the way I normally play as it is all about the actual gameplay. He said, ‘There is no difference. The skills remain the same, it is just a matter of mentality. Never take any pressure or tension . . and play according to the situation’,” he said in a video on IPLT20.com.
Rizvi recalled the moment when he was bought by the franchise for a whopping Rs 84 crore in the pre-season auction as he felt that his dream of meeting Dhoni would finally come true.
“When I got picked by CSK during the auction, my biggest happiness was to see Bhaiya (MS Dhoni)’s dream come true. We also had networking sessions together and learned a lot from him and the (supporting) staff. I intend to learn more and make the most of my talents.” Having played cricket for Uttar Pradesh, he has decent T20 figures, scoring 309 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 137.33, including two half-centuries.
Talking about his jersey number, the 20-year-old Meerut batsman said: “My jersey number is number 7, which is currently being worn by Bhaiya and I can’t get it. So, I liked number 1 and bought it. .” Rizvi also spoke about the positive atmosphere in the CSK dressing room.
“Everyone in the team loves and supports each other. The idea of scoring six goals in the first goal came from my heart, and the players cheered for me wholeheartedly,” he said.
With PTI input
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