On Sunday, April 2, India commemorated the 12th anniversary of its legendary ODI World Cup triumph. MS Dhoni led Team India to victory over Sri Lanka in the World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, bringing home the trophy for the second time in 28 years. India made history by being the first nation to ever win the World Cup on its own grounds.
Kumar Sangakkara, the captain of Sri Lanka, decided to bat first after winning the toss. Team India was given a 275-run target to reach by Sangakkara and company, with Mahela Jayawardene making an unbeaten 103. Losing renowned batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag early in the innings, India was reduced to 31/2, and Sri Lankan spinner Lasith Malinga silenced the Wankhede crowd, putting them in difficulty for the chase.
After moving up to No. 5, India’s captain, MS Dhoni entered the batting order as India’s hopes started to wane. With his partner, Gautam Gambhir, he scored 109 runs, which helped India win. The difference between Dhoni’s unbeaten 91 off 79 balls and Gambhir’s three runs short of the three-figure mark was three. He came out swinging, smashing a six to help India complete the goal with ten balls remaining.
In the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) practice nets, Dhoni, who is presently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, was seen reenacting the famous six. Suddenly nostalgia strikes! CSK captioned a video of Dhoni smashing the six on Twitter that they published on Sunday.
At Chepauk, CSK will take on LSG on Monday.
On March 31 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Mumbai, CSK suffered a five-wicket loss against the reigning champion Gujarat Titans (GT). At the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai, on Monday, April 3, the four-time champions will take on the KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). This will be Dhoni’s first game in front of his own fans in more than three years, which is notable.
MS Dhoni, who is expected to end his long IPL career after this season, would like to make an unforgettable impression in front of the fervent Chennai audience, which would like to see its most cherished captain win the trophy one last time.
Earlier on Friday, Chennai’s IPL season got off to a poor start as the four-time winners were defeated by Gujarat Titans after putting on a lackluster performance. Ruturaj Gaikwad, the opener, amassed 92 runs, but that was all as none of the other CSK batters were able to put up a display. Rajvardhan Hangargekar attempted to battle back with the ball, taking three wickets, but ultimately was unable to help Chennai reach the finish line as Gujarat successfully chased down the 179-run mark with five wickets and four balls remaining.