Leader Online Desk : In this year's Indian Premier League (IPL), Mahendra Singh Dhoni of Chennai Super Kings once again won the hearts of the fans with his brilliant performances on Sunday. At the age of 42, he has made another record to his name. His performance not only pleased the fans of Chennai Super Kings, but Dhoni's contemporaries have also showered him with praise. Dhoni's one-time teammate Suresh Raina has praised Dhoni's dashing game in words such as 'motivation knows no age'.
The name Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an inspiration to millions of cricket fans today. A young man from a small town makes it to the Indian team playing for the Railways. Became the captain of the Indian team in a few years. Led India to the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup under his leadership. It's a wonder if his dream journey isn't inspiring. But how much cricket is left in Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has now crossed forty? He answered this question in the match played against Delhi Capitals at Visakhapatnam ground on Sunday. In this match, the 42-year-old Dhoni reminded the fans of the old days by playing spectacular shots.
Dhoni's storming innings
Dhoni came out to bat for the first time this season and performed as expected. The game that his fans have been waiting for for over a year now. Dhoni, who came at number eight in this match, played a stormy innings of 37 runs off 16 balls. Dhoni hits a boundary on the first ball. After this, he played an attractive shot. Dhoni won the hearts of the fans by hitting four fours and three sixes. Dhoni shared a 51-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja, but it was not enough to give CSK a win.
Tha7⃣a turning the clock back! ⌚⏪ 💛#ThalaThalaDhaan #WhistlePodu #Yellowlove🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/6nRztt59pS
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 1, 2024
Dhoni became the third highest run-scorer in T20 by a wicket-keeper batsman
Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2020. But his place in the IPL is still intact. Another record has been registered to his name with his brilliant innings on Sunday. Dhoni has become the third wicket-keeper batsman to score the most runs in T20Is. He surpassed Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan, who has 6962 runs to his name. Dhoni scored 7036 runs in his T20 career thanks to his blistering innings, making him the third highest run-scorer after South Africa's Quinton de Kock and England's Jos Buttler. De Kock has so far scored 8578 runs in this format while Buttler has scored 7721 runs.
The only wicketkeeper to perform 'like this'
Along with batting, Dhoni also proved his skill in wicketkeeping against Delhi. He took an amazing catch off Prithvi Shaw. This was his 300th wicket as a wicketkeeper in T20Is. Dhoni is the only wicket-keeper in the world to score a triple century. Pakistan's Kamran Akmal and India's Dinesh Karthik are joint second with 274 catches each. Also, Quinton de Kock is third with 270 wickets and Jos Buttler is fourth with 209 wickets.
Dhoni is one of the most successful captains in IPL. Dhoni, who has been associated with the IPL since the league's inception in 2008, has led CSK to the title five times under his leadership. Under Dhoni's leadership, the team won the IPL trophy last year by defeating Gujarat Titans. Before this year's IPL, Dhoni left the captaincy. Ruturaj Gaikwad became the new captain of Chennai.
Suresh Raina praises Dhoni's innings
Motivation knows no age, Mahendra Singh's incredible batting record even at the age of 42 is a testament to his dedication to the game, says former cricketer Suresh Raina.
Inspiration knows no age! Witnessing @msdhoni Mahi Bhai's incredible batting prowess at 42 is a testament to his unparalleled spirit and dedication 🙌 @JioCinema #DCvCSK pic.twitter.com/W8WzD76bcF
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) March 31, 2024
