"Aja Ben Stokes tujhe thala banata hoon"- Top funny 'thala for a reason' memes as fans shower their love on MS Dhoni

Fans have recently been showering their love on former Indian captain MS Dhoni by trending 'thala for a reason' content on social media platforms.

Legendary cricketer MS Dhoni last played competitive cricket in May during the IPL 2023 final. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Gujarat Titans (GT) as Dhoni lifted the IPL trophy for the fifth time, a feat matched only by Rohit Sharma.

Dhoni is currently on a break from cricket and is spending quality time with family and friends away from the field. The 42-year-old has not bid farewell to IPL and will return next year to play the new season.

Meanwhile, fans have recently begun a new trend on X and other social media platforms. They have been linking things with number 7, which is the jersey number of Dhoni. The wicketkeeper-batter is known as 'Thala' at CSK, which is the Tamil word for leader. Even Google and many other enterprises have joined in on the fun and have shared funny memes on the matter.

Here are some of the best memes on the matter:

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"It just makes me happy"- AB de Villiers on MS Dhoni playing IPL 2024

Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers recently expressed happiness after CSK confirmed MS Dhoni's participation in IPL 2024. The veteran was on their retained player list ahead of the mini-auction. De Villiers said on the matter in a video on his YouTube channel:

"I see that man's name on the retention list, and it just makes me happy. There was a lot of talk about it in the last season about whether it was going to be his last season. He is moving on to 2024 to play another IPL season.

"With him, he is always full of surprises. Maybe he has got three more to go, who knows? But It is just great to see his name on there."

De Villiers also feels CSK might sign Tamil Nadu power-hitter Shahrukh Khan at the upcoming mini-auction. Analyzing the Chennai franchise's usual auction strategy, AB said:

"He (Shahrukh Khan) is a strong player and is pretty consistent. I am very sure some of the teams will be very keen to get him over there. He hits the ball a long way as well. That's where CSK stand out. They are very good at picking up released players."

Do you think CSK can defend the trophy successfully in IPL 2024? In the comments section below, let us know your early predictions for the upcoming season.