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What's the story?
Jumping into the Twitter duel between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings have showcased their quick wit by providing a beguiling rejoinder. Their reply, powerful and hilarious at the same time, was built on skipper MS Dhoni's larger than life reputation.
The background
Mumbai Indians created a bit of a flutter by challenging Twitterati to identify a better all-rounder trio than Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya and Kieron Pollard. On his official Twitter account, the seam all-rounder from India had posted an image comprising himself, his brother and the Caribbean mercenary.
The details
Sunrisers Hyderabad responded by pointing towards their own set of all-rounders - Afghanistan stars Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan as well as Bangladesh stalwart Shakib Al Hasan. However, Mumbai Indians gave a befitting reply by referring to their three IPL titles.
Right throughout their history, Chennai Super Kings have often begun sedately before hitting top gear and outracing all competitors to IPL glory. Having waited patiently, they swooped in and had the last laugh off the field as well. Needless to say, their response was built on the ever reliable Dhoni.
Chennai Super Kings painted Dhoni as their very own three of a kind all-rounder. Presumably, they equated his dynamic batting, razor-sharp wicket-keeping and unmatched leadership skills to the impact produced by three different cricketers.
Here's how the entire episode unfolded on Twitter.
Mumbai Indians raise eyebrows by utilising Hardik Pandya's photo with fellow all-rounders Krunal Pandya and Pollard.
Sunrisers Hyderabad come up with their own troika of all-rounders - Nabi, Rashid and Shakib.
Pointing to their burgeoning trophy cabinet, Mumbai Indians give a savage riposte to Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Chennai Super Kings win this round by giving the most interesting of all responses. Equating their talisman skipper to the might of three all-rounders, they refer to Dhoni as 'Moondru Mugam' (three-faced in Tamil).
Kolkata Knight Riders' belated entry into this contest falls on deaf ears. However, one must admit that the likes of Jacques Kallis, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine do form a strong fantasy all-round combination.
What's next?
As many as four of the leading IPL franchises have set the tone by indulging in a fascinating banter on Twitter. With the Player Auction lurking in the horizon, the various franchises will get back into business and jostle against each other to secure the services of the prominent stars.
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