MS Dhoni fans were treated to a classic match from the former captain of the Chennai Super Kings on Friday. Facing Lucknow Supergiants in Lucknow with his team trailing by six wickets, MS Dhoni came late at the crease and made an immediate impact. The World Cup-winning captain hit two sixes and three fours to finish with a nine-ball 28*. The late cameo was crucial for CSK to post 176/6 in 20 overs. A brief but amusing knock brought the Lucknow crowd to its feet.

Even though the match was held in Lucknow, CSK and especially Dhoni received huge support. LSG star opener Quinton de Kock’s wife Sasha was in the stands and the crowd at Ekana Stadium roared loudly for MS Dhoni as the decibel levels rose cheer.

Sasha posted a picture on Instagram Stories with the skipper, “When MS Dhoni comes out to bat”. Alongside the caption, she posted an image of a notification on her smartwatch that read: “Loud environment – sound levels reaching 95 decibels. Just 10 minutes at this level can cause temporary hearing loss.”

LSG kept checking CSK’s runs until Moeen Ali (30 off 20 balls) and MS Dhoni (28 off 9 balls) went berserk, reducing CSK to 176 for 6.

“In the middle overs, I would be happy with 160. The wicket feels slow and has a little grip, but not too much. 160-165 would be ideal,” LSG captain KL Rahul said.

“But MSD walked in and the bowlers were scared. He walked in and the bowlers were under pressure and the crowd was really rowdy and he’s done that in the past.”

Rahul (82) and De Kock (54) chased 177 runs, batting with authority in their 134-run league win, the highest among all wickets at the Ekana Stadium Together, LSG posted 180 runs for 2 in 19 overs.

“I feel if we play well, we can chase it. I have been trying to assess the situation and it worked out today. The spin ball in Chennai, they tried to stop us,” he said.

“We tried to get off to a good start. Tried to beat them and luckily it worked. When your partnership continues you can try a few more times. Glad it happened.”

With PTI input