RR bowler takes selfie with MS Dhoni and makes Ghibli art after IPL 2025 match vs CSK [In Pictures]

On Monday, March 31, Rajasthan Royals (RR) spinner Kumar Kartikeya shared a couple of pictures on social media with Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) former captain MS Dhoni. The two teams had recently squared off in the 11th match of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday, March 30, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.

After being asked to bat first, RR posted 182/9 in their 20 overs. Nitish Rana was the standout performer for the Royals. The southpaw made 81 off 36 balls, hitting 10 fours and five sixes, while skipper Riyan Parag contributed 37 off 28 balls.

In response, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 63 off 44 balls, including seven fours and one six. Towards the end, MS Dhoni contributed 16 off 11 balls, while Ravindra Jadeja remained unbeaten on 32 off 22 balls. However, it wasn't enough as CSK finished at 176/6, falling short by six runs.

Meanwhile, the day after the match, RR spinner Kumar Kartikeya posted a selfie with MS Dhoni on Instagram, which he transformed into trending Ghibli art. He captioned the post:

“One of my favourite person.”

CSK currently occupies seventh place on the points table with two points from three matches, while RR are in ninth, having the same number of points from as many games.

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Stephen Fleming provides significant fitness update on MS Dhoni following the RR vs CSK IPL 2025 match

Following the CSK vs RR match on March 30, Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming remarked in the post-game conference that it isn’t feasible to send MS Dhoni up the batting order mid-innings, given his age and history of knee injuries.

The 43-year-old came in at number 7 but couldn't finish the game for his team, scoring 16 off 11 balls, as CSK fell short by six runs in their chase of 183. During the post-game conference, the CSK coach explained:

"Yeah, it's a time thing. 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," (via Hindustan Times).

"I said it last year [as well], he's too valuable to us - leadership and wicket-keeping - to throw him in nine, ten overs. He has actually never done that. So, look, from around 13-14 overs, he's looking to go depending on who's in," Fleming added.

CSK will next face Axar Patel's Delhi Capitals (DC) on Saturday, April 5, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.