MS Dhoni, the former Indian cricket team captain, did a special lap of honor at Chennai’s Chepauk stadium, the home ground of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) team, during their match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhoni, who is likely playing his last season in the IPL, went around the ground, acknowledging fans for their support and shaking hands with security officials, giving a hint about his plans. Though CSK will return to Chepauk if they qualify for the playoffs, progression to that stage of the season isn’t guaranteed as yet.
Dhoni’s lap of honor included hitting some balls into the crowd, tossing a few jerseys, and giving autographs to policemen and former Indian cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar. Even though CSK lost the match to KKR by six wickets, Dhoni was smiling and seemed content with the love and support he received from the fans.
Dhoni, who is known for his calm demeanor, did not blame any of his bowlers for the loss but instead pointed out that the dew factor had a big impact on the match. CSK, after winning the toss, batted first but could only make 144 for six. Shivam Dube top-scored with an unbeaten 48 off 34 balls, while KKR’s spinners Sunil Narine (2/15) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/36) took two wickets each.
Chasing a target of 145, KKR had a few early hiccups but eventually reached the target in 18.3 overs, with Rinku Singh and skipper Nitish Rana making 54 and unbeaten 57 respectively.
Dhoni’s lap of honor and his actions during the match have fueled speculations that this might be his last season playing for CSK in the IPL. However, the former Indian cricket team captain has not made any official announcement regarding his retirement from the IPL or cricket altogether.
