In IPL 2023, the match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders was played at Chepauk Stadium on Sunday. In this match, KKR defeated CSK by six wickets. Batting first, Chennai scored 144 runs for six wickets in 20 overs. In reply, Kolkata achieved the target in 18.3 overs. This was Chennai's last home match of the season. The team has also lost five matches. Dhoni's team is second in the points table. CSK now have one more match to play, which will be against Delhi Capitals at Feroz Shah Kotla. In such a situation, CSK will have to win that match to qualify for the playoffs. If this does not happen then the team will have to depend on the results of other teams. Which will be against Delhi Capitals at Feroz Shah Kotla. In such a situation, CSK will have to win that match to qualify for the playoffs. If this does not happen then the team will have to depend on the results of other teams. Which will be against Delhi Capitals at Feroz Shah Kotla. In such a situation, CSK will have to win that match to qualify for the playoffs. If this does not happen then the team will have to depend on the results of other teams.
Dhoni Photo: IPL/BCCI
However, it was only after his last home match in the league round this season that Dhoni took the lap of honor at Chepauk in Chennai. He took a round of the stadium with fellow players and thanked the fans for always supporting the team. Dhoni was accompanied by team CEO Kashi Vishwanathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Moin Ali, Ajinkya Rahane, Tushar Deshpande, Deepak Chahar, coach Stephen Fleming and the entire team. Dhoni also wore a special knee-band due to a knee injury during the lap of honour. Dhoni had been injured since the start of the season and was seen limping several times during the match.
During this, Dhoni had a racket in his hand and gifted the ball with the CSK logo to the audience. Earlier, he had also gifted some jerseys to the audience. During this, the policemen and other staff present in the stadium also took Dhoni's autograph and posed for pictures with him. Two more playoff matches are to be played in Chepauk including Qualifier-1 and Eliminator.
Difficult road ahead for CSK
The first thing is that Dhoni's team has to play the last match of the league round in Delhi. Only the victory in that match will decide the further journey of Chennai. If CSK's team wins that match, then its place in the last-four will be confirmed. In such a situation, Dhoni will come back to Chepauk to play only one match. The top two teams will compete in Qualifier-I and the third and fourth-placed teams in Eliminator. If they lose against Delhi (May 20), Dhoni's team will have to depend on the results of other teams.
In such a situation, only 15 points will be left for Dhoni's team. Mumbai, Lucknow and Bangalore are the teams who can still score 16 or above. In this situation, Chennai will have to be out of the last-four. If any two of these three teams lose one of their matches, then CSK's place in the playoffs will be confirmed. Qualifier-2 and the final are to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Dhoni surprises people by taking important decisions suddenly,
it is also possible that Dhoni has decided that this will be his last season. Dhoni has been one of those players who does not allow any inkling before such a decision. Whether it was at the time of relinquishing Test captaincy in 2014 or ODI-T20 captaincy in 2017 or at the time of retiring from international cricket in 2020, Dhoni never let anyone know anything before his decision. People came to know only after some kind of his post.
In such a situation, even now Dhoni must have thought about it and only the team knows about it. Dhoni has also been injured this season. His knee is injured and he is seen walking with a limp. Dhoni also had problems many times in wicketkeeping. Although Dhoni looks very fit at the age of 41, but due to excessive pressure, this also happens due to fatigue. In such a situation, Dhoni must have felt that the time has come to give a chance to a young player.
Dhoni had said - this is the last phase of my career
Dhoni had said in one of his statements in 2022 that he will retire from IPL in front of his home audience. After a match this season, Dhoni had said – No matter how long I play, but this is the last phase of my career. It is important to enjoy it. After two years, fans have got a chance to come here and see. It feels good to be here. The audience has showered us with a lot of love and affection. One could see the pain in Dhoni's statement. However, after this commentator Danny Morrison asked Dhoni whether this is his last season? However, Dhoni gave a funny reply on this. He smiled and said, “You have decided that this is my last IPL, not me.
At the same time, Virender Sehwag had said during a cricket show – I do not understand why people even ask questions about Dhoni's retirement? Even if it is his last year, why do you have to ask any player? It's their call, let them take it! Whether this is his last year or not, only MS Dhoni knows. Dhoni himself has never given a statement regarding his retirement and from the reply given to Morrison, it seems that Dhoni will play the next season as well.
The CSK team does this every season after the last home match. It
may also be that Dhoni's lap of honor at the home ground is a formality at the end of the league round. This is what the CSK team does every season after their last match of the league round at home ground. Dhoni and the rest of the team express their gratitude to their fans during this time and we have seen this in the past as well. The home and away basis of IPL was returned after three years. For the first time after 2019, IPL was played on home-away format. In such a situation, Dhoni was playing in Chennai after 2019 and the opportunity of lap of honor came after almost four years. That made it even more special.
Dhoni and the entire team did not want to miss this opportunity. Till 2019, lap of honor was common and then the whole team used to stay together. After this, the team won the title in 2021, but did not get a chance to play on home ground. In such a situation, this time the entire team was with Dhoni in the lap of honour, some of whom were seeing this for the first time. Now the team wants to start preparing for the playoffs and reaching the playoffs is not yet decided. In such a situation, the team took the lap of honor after the last home match.
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