MS Dhoni's 3 best moments from IPL 2024

The Chennai Super Kings failed to make it to the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs after suffering a defeat against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in their final league match of the tournament. It was a must-win game for RCB, and they put up a brilliant performance to fulfill all criteria to seal a top-four spot.

CSK, who clinched their fifth title last year under MS Dhoni’s leadership, found a new captain in Ruturaj Gaikwad this season. The 42-year-old CSK veteran stepped down after leading the side for over a decade and handed the baton to the 27-year-old.

Under Gaikwad’s leadership, CSK won seven games and lost as many in the 14 matches that they played this season. Even amid a mediocre season, one thing that kept the fans going was MS Dhoni’s spirit and form.

The wicketkeeper-batter was class apart while batting on the field, and also showcased brilliance behind the stumps with the gloves on. His fitness, returning for another season after knee surgery at the age of 42, was commendable, and the fans truly got their money and time’s worth.

While MS Dhoni had mentioned coming back for another season after the IPL 2023 victory, as a gesture of gratitude towards his fans, many speculate the 2024 edition to be his last. But there is another set, hopeful of the legendary cricketer playing another season, to keep up with his other promise of playing his last match at Chepauk.

But MS being MS, he’ll surprise fans either way- by walking out silently or coming back to play again. While nobody but him knows his plans, let’s take a look at three of Dhoni’s best moments from CSK’s IPL 2024 campaign.

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#3 Hat-trick of sixes in a 4-ball 20* cameo against the Mumbai Indians

One of the finest cameos of MS Dhoni’s career came this season against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL’s El Clasico. After a poor start to the innings batting first, CSK were handed a massive boost as skipper Gaikwad and middle-order batter Shivam Dube struck half-centuries.

Just when CSK looked a few runs short of posting a defendable total, Dhoni took on Hardik Pandya in the innings’ final over and hit him for three consecutive sixes. The keeper-batter ran a couple of runs quickly on the final delivery to add 20 runs to CSK’s total.

MS Dhoni’s knock of an unbeaten four-ball 20 turned out to be a key factor in CSK’s victory at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, as they won by a margin of 20 runs. Courtesy of Matheesha Pathirana’s 4/28 in the second innings, CSK held MI to 186/6.

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#2 Stunning diving catch against the Gujarat Titans in front of Chepauk crowd

In CSK’s second match of the IPL 2024 against last year’s finalists Gujarat Titans, MS Dhoni showcased finesse behind the stumps and left the crowd and the viewers alike stunned. He completed a brilliant diving catch to dismiss GT’s Vijay Shankar.

Dhoni’s effort sent the GT middle-order batter back to the pavilion as the entire stadium erupted in joy after witnessing the 42-year-old’s magnificent athleticism. When Shankar edged the delivery, it looked like the ball would go past the keeper and travel to the boundary.

But to everyone’s surprise, MS Dhoni stretched himself 2.27m to his right and pounced on the ball to safely grab it with his gloves. As a result, Daryl Mitchell got himself among the wicket-taking charts and CSK eventually clinched an impressive 63-run win.

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#1 Out-of-the-park 110m six against RCB under pressure

Though the result of this game turned out to be the most disappointing one for CSK, MS Dhoni ignited every CSK member and fans’ hopes by hitting a 110m six, out of the stadium, in the final over against Yash Dayal.

Dinesh Karthik eventually was thankful for the CSK keeper hitting that six, believing that the ball traveling out of the park brought the new ball into play, which helped Dayal defend the total and win the game for his team as they sealed the last and final playoff spot.

Nonetheless, amid the outcome for CSK, MS Dhoni, in what could have been his last IPL match, hit a humungous six behind the wicket and the ball found its way over the roof. With that six, the equation came down to CSK needing 11 off the last five balls to qualify for the playoffs.

But Dayal dismissed the CSK veteran on the very next delivery and put an end to the defending champions and their fans’ hopes of clinching a record sixth title.