Rajasthan Royals players remove cap one after another to meet MS Dhoni after RR vs CSK IPL 2025 match [Watch]

Rajasthan Royals' (RR) players, especially youngsters, took their caps off before shaking hands with MS Dhoni after the IPL 2025 game against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday, March 30, in Guwahati. In a video that surfaced on social media, Royals captain Riyan Parag was seen leading the way as a sign of respect for the wicketkeeper-batter.

Despite having retired from international cricket for over five years, Dhoni continues to draw crowds across venues in massive numbers during the IPL. The Ranchi-born cricketer's accolades and cricketing acumen are still talked about among former players and continue to inspire the upcoming generation of players.

Watch the video here of RR players showing respect to Dhoni:

After drawing backlash for coming in to bat at No. 9 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), the 43-year-old slotted in at No. 7 against the Royals on Sunday. However, he could not get the job done as the five-time champions fell six runs short in their 183-run chase.

Dhoni's stay was cut short by Shimron Hetmyer's brilliant catch in the final over when the Yellow Army needed 19 off the final six deliveries. The former skipper managed to score only 16 off 11 balls.

"He will gauge on the day what he can give us" - Stephen Fleming on MS Dhoni's capability as a batter

Addressing the keeper-batter's struggles with the bat, head coach Stephen Fleming claimed that it's the veteran taking the call on when he wishes to come in. Fleming said at the post-game presser (via Hindustan Times):

"MS judges it. His body is, his knees aren't what they used to be. And he's moving okay, but there's still an attrition aspect to it. He can't bat 10 overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us. If the game's in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier, and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he's balancing that."

The defeat was the Super Kings' second in three matches, and they must pull up their socks in the next few matches to stay in the hunt for the playoffs.