[WATCH] MS Dhoni asks Ruturaj Gaikwad to pat his back after game-changing cameo in MI vs CSK match of IPL 2024

MS Dhoni asked current Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad to pat his back after the former’s match-winning cameo against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the recently concluded contest of the IPL 2024. He smashed an unbeaten four-ball 20, which made the difference in the end.

Dhoni proved why he is still one of the finest finishers in T20 cricket. Promoting himself up the order and walking in to bat with just four deliveries remaining in the first innings, the former CSK skipper hit MI skipper Hardik Pandya for three consecutive sixes before taking a couple of runs off the last delivery.

Courtesy of the 42-year-old’s blitzkrieg, CSK managed to get past the 200-run mark and post a winning total of 207 runs for the hosts to chase. Eventually, Dhoni’s 20-run knock made the difference as CSK held MI to 186 and won the game by a margin of as many runs.

In a video shared on the tournament’s X handle, MS Dhoni playfully gestured Gaikwad for a pat on his shoulder as he walked out in the field to take his position as the wicketkeeper for the second innings. The two were all smiles as Gaikwad patted Dhoni’s shoulder for his fireworks with the bat.

Here’s a video (1:23)

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MS Dhoni and Matheesha Pathirana’s heroics take CSK to their fourth win of the season

Batting first, CSK batters Gaikwad and Shivam Dube notched up half-centuries to set the tone of the game. After enjoying initial success, MI bowlers struggled to break the third-wicket partnership between Gaikwad and Dube as the two racked up runs for fun.

Just when it looked like CSK were a few runs short of a defendable total given the track record at the Wankhede Stadium, MS Dhoni walked out in style to steal the show. The wicketkeeper-batter hit three consecutive sixes off Hardik Pandya’s bowling in the 20th over to take his team’s total to 206/4.

MI were on track to chase down the total as openers Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma got off to a brilliant start. Matheesha Pathirana got his side key breakthroughs by dismissing Kishan and the dangerous Suryakumar Yadav.

Rohit took charge of the game from one end but failed to get support from the other. The former MI skipper stood strong till the final delivery and hit a century en route, but Pathirana’s brilliance in the death overs restricted the hosts to 186/6 at the end of their 20-over quota as CSK clinched a mouth-watering victory.