Rainfall ruined the possibility of play on Sunday. Monday, the reserve day, saw the revival of expectations of a thrilling summit clash of Indian Premier League between the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans captained by Hardik Pandya.
CSK were eyeing their fifth IPL title to equal the record held by Mumbai Indians. GT, which had debuted in and emerged as the winners last year, were chasing their second successive title. The match began on time in Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, but cricket fans continued to pray for uninterrupted play before the deserving team won the title.
Dhoni was playing in his 11th IPL final, among them ten for CSK, while Pandya was appearing in his fifth final. Although the match took place in the home-ground of GT, CSK’s yellow overshadowed the former’s dark blue inside the stadium. The sight of so much support for the outsiders surprised nobody, considering Dhoni is one of the most popular megastars in the history of Indian cricket.
GOOD NEWS FOR HIS FANS
Batting first, GT amassed 214 for 4, a big score in a final. Chasing a revised target of 171 runs in 15 overs in a rain-curtailed match, CSK won a last-ball thriller by five wickets, courtesy Ravindra Jadeja’s six and four off the last two deliveries of the match. Dhoni’s individual performance was limited to a first-ball duck, and an extraordinary stumping to dismiss the in-form Shubman Gill for his 300th T20 dismissal in his 250th IPL match.
While the battle for the trophy was being fought in Ahmedabad, many cricket lovers would have been anxious. ‘What if the CSK skipper bids goodbye to the game as a player with a formal announcement today?’ His fans would have been restless until he spoke to Harsha Bhogle during the post-match presentation ceremony. “The tough thing for me is to work hard for another nine months and come back and play at least more season of IPL…A lot depends on the body…It will be more like a gift for them (CSK fans) from my side,” he told Bhogle. The stadium erupted in joy when he said these words at close to 3 am on Tuesday. It was the best news his fans could have hoped for.
The bike-loving Ranchi-born cricketer, who once made headlines because of his changing hairstyles, will turn 42 on July 7 this year. He preferred to bat in the lower order this year. He was not hundred per cent fit because of a sore knee. He often remained unbeaten with few runs under his belt, although he did entertain his fans by hitting ten sixes during the course of the tournament.
As a skipper, however, his smart bowling changes, excellent field placements and the ability to inspire teammates such as Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana and Tushar Deshpande served as lessons on the use of resources. Viewers could sense the impact of his sheer presence on the field as he tried to erase the disappointing memories of CSK’s ninth place finish last year. Jadeja’s heroics made it possible.
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MEMORIES
Each time CSK played, their fans started wondering whether Dhoni will play in IPL for one more year. Placards inside stadiums and tweets in thousands revealed their unconditional love for the cricketer, whose eventful career is a collection of stories we fondly remember from time to time.
Who can forget that day in 2006 when Pervez Musharraf, the then President of Pakistan, praised his long-haired look during a presentation ceremony after a one-day match between India and Pakistan in Lahore? Musharraf also told Dhoni, the man of the match in India’s win, “May I congratulate Dhoni on being the architect of the victory. May I tell Dhoni, I saw a placard asking you to get a haircut. If you want to take my opinion, you look good in this haircut. Don’t get a haircut.”
Who can forget his aggressive batting from the start of his career, which led to famous knocks like his 148 off 123 deliveries against Pakistan in April 2005, in Visakhapatnam? Or, his knock in October, also in 2005, when he scored an unbeaten 183 off 145 deliveries against Sri Lanka in Jaipur?
Who can forget the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 final against Pakistan in Johannesburg? Pakistan needed 13 runs from the last over. Misbah-ul-Haq was on strike. Dhoni, the then young captain, handed over the ball to the inexperienced Joginder Sharma. Misbah hit a Sharma full toss over long-off for a six off the second legal delivery of the over, which brought the title within Pakistan’s reach. He attempted to paddle-scoop the following delivery over fine leg, did not get the desired result, and S Sreesanth took a simple catch at short fine leg. India had snatched a victory from the jaws of defeat, and Dhoni and his men returned home from South Africa with the prestigious trophy.
Who can forget that day in 2011 when he stepped out to bat ahead of an in-form Yuvraj Singh and smashed an unbeaten 79-ball 91 to guide India to a six wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final of the 2011 Cricket World Cup in Mumbai? Had he failed in that all-important match, Indian cricket lovers would have showered criticism on him. What happened was the exact opposite, resulting in a great victory.
The Dhoni story, in short, is a tapestry of unforgettable memories. He captained India to three ICC tournament triumphs: the 2007 World Twenty20, the 2011 Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. He led the team to Asia Cup wins in 2011 and 2016. Under his captaincy, India attained the number one position in Test rankings for the first time in 2009.
Moreover, India won the 2010 and 2011 Test Mace and the 2013 ICC ODI Championship under his captaincy. A better captain in the shorter formats, he captained CSK to IPL triumphs in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021. The team also won Champions League T20 twice, in 2010 and 2014, under his captaincy. His record as a skipper is nothing short of phenomenal, which makes him an idol for the younger lot seeking to emulate his feats someday.
Dhoni’s journey is a fascinating fairytale. It is possible he will play in 2024 for the one last time. His millions of fans must be hoping that happens before he bids that inevitable final goodbye.
The author, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed are personal.
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