Despite the batting prowess of the Chennai Super Kings top 5 being enough for the defending champions to get two back-to-back wins on the trot at home, which MS Dhoni watching and applauding the proceedings from the pavilion amid the anticipation from the crowd to witness him bat, batting coach Mike Hussey made a blockbuster prediction on the former captain well ahead of the match against Delhi Capitals on Sunday in Vizag. And Dhoni made it come true with a “never-seen-before” six in the last ball of the match.
In a video released on IPL’s social media handle, Hussey made a bold prediction on Dhoni, who was yet to bat in IPL 2024, saying that he would wrap up the match with a last-ball six amid a roaring crowd at the venue. His precise words were: “My prediction for the last over of the match is that MS Dhoni will be batting. The crowd will be roaring and MSD will hit a six to finish the match.”
Dhoni carved out a vintage knock at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, in Visakhapatnam, the same venue where he had smashed a memorable 148 against Pakistan 19 years back. Despite Chennai being well out of the chase of 192, Dhoni, keeping the net run rate factor in mind, smashed four boundaries and three sixes in his unbeaten 16-ball 37.
The knock comprised a 20-run last over against Anrich Nortje, where amid the frenzy Vizag crowd, most of whom were all in yellow with the iconic No. 7 jersey on, Dhoni hit the last ball, a low full toss outside off, for a six high over extra cover.
Hussey’s prediction did come true, but CSK succumbed to a 20-run loss, their first defeat in IPL 2024.
Former CSK all-rounder Shane Watson was left astounded watching Dhoni’s knock, claiming that he had never seen some of the shots that the former skipper hit in that 16-ball knock.
“With MS Dhoni in this type of form – this is exactly what you want from him. His power and the skill he has got under pressure when the bowlers are really scrambling to execute, his ability to win a game out of nowhere we have seen so many times through his career. Some of his shots he played tonight, that’s as good a shot I have ever seen him play. The one over cover is one of the harder shots to play, but he is still doing it,” the former Australia all-rounder told Jio Cinema.
Despite what the result may say, Dhoni’s knock does emerge as a major positive for CSK, who can now opt to send him up the order in run chases in the remaining part of the IPL 2024 campaign.
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