Captain or no captain, MS Dhoni is always the most followed Chennai Super Kings player. Although he has only kept wickets in the two matches CSL played in the IPL 2024 so far, Dhoni has received the loudest cheers whenever he has been on screen. During CSK’s match against Gujarat Titans on Wednesday, MS Dhoni took a brilliant catch from Vijay Shankar, the video of which went viral.
After the match, which CSK won by 63 runs, MS Dhoni was seen in a funny moment with Dwayne Bravo.
Setta pudicha paiyan sir
Thala – Bravo in fun mode
The real family #ChennaiSuperKings #CSKvsGTpic.twitter.com/57FjVUja6Z
— LeoDas MSDian (@Hyena_Das) March 26, 2024
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings batsman Sameer Rizvi credited Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his small but quick and impactful knock in his maiden IPL match, saying the talismanic former India skipper advised him to play his natural game when he came into bat against Gujarat Giants.
Against GT, Rizvi played a cameo six-ball 14-run knock on Tuesday night, including two sixes against Rashid Khan.
“Bhaiya (Dhoni) told me to play the way I generally play because it’s all about the actual gameplay. He said, ‘There’s nothing different. Skills remain the same, and it’s all just about the mentality. Never take pressure and never be nervous and play according to the situation,” he said in a video on IPLT20.com.
Rizvi recalled the moment he was picked up by the franchise for a whopping Rs 8.4 crore during the pre-season auction as he felt his dream of meeting Dhoni would eventually become a reality.
“When I was picked up by CSK during the auction, my greatest happiness was that my dream of meeting Bhaiya (MS Dhoni) would come true. We also had net sessions together and learned a lot from him and the (support) staff. I plan to learn more and perform to the fullest.” Having played cricket for Uttar Pradesh, he has decent T20 numbers, scoring 309 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 137.33, including two half-centuries.
Speaking about his jersey number, the 20-year-old Meerut batsman said, “My jersey number is seven, which is currently worn by Bhaiya and I can’t get it. So I liked number 1 and I took it.” Rizvi also talked about the positive atmosphere in the CSK dressing room.
“Everyone in the team loves and supports each other. The thought process of hitting the six in my first ball came from my heart, and the team members also cheered for me with all their hearts,” he said.
“Every time I have a question in mind, I ask everyone in the team, whether batting or fielding, about their mentality while batting. Learning these little things would benefit me in the long run come,” he concluded.
CSK defeated GT by 63 runs on Tuesday and have two wins in as many matches. They will play against Delhi Capitals in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
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