IPL 2019: Dhoni, Russell, and more - top five innings from the league stage

#4 MS Dhoni – 75 off 46 balls vs RR

A Thala Dhoni Special (Picture courtesy: iplt20.com/BCCI)

The legend that keeps giving. Though CSK have had a very comfortable season and were the only team that never ever looked like not making the playoffs, their batting in the initial part of the season was only about one man – MS Dhoni. CSK, in their home match against RR, were looking down and out with the score at 27-3 in 5 overs, as Dhoni walked in.

He started in his usual circumspect fashion, guiding the team to a respectable score, before the now patentable Dhoni’s Final Act. At the end of the 17th over, CSK were at a modest 115-4 with Dhoni at 38 of 34 balls. And at the end of the 20th over, CSK finished at 175, with Dhoni finishing off at 75 of 46 balls.

A remarkable 28 runs came off the last over. A typical Dhoni flourish took CSK to a winning total and kept their IPL march going on. CSK’s top order batting failures was often masked by their superlative bowling performances, but MSD ensured that they always put up competitive totals on the board.