In the Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) IPL 2025 match against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Monday, April 14, captain MS Dhoni demonstrated his abilities with a game-winning cameo. The 43-year-old led his team to a vital five-wicket victory while remaining undefeated at 26 from just 11 balls.
During his spectacular performance, MS Dhoni hit four boundaries and one six, finishing with a strike rate of 236.36. When Chennai required 56 runs from 30 balls, he came out to bat at number seven.
He and Shivam Dube shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 57* runs, which enabled CSK to chase the 167-run mark in 19.3 overs.
The Chennai captain’s explosive batting performances earned him the title of Player of the Match. For the first time since 2019, he took home the honor. For his effort, the seasoned keeper-batter received a lot of social media accolades.
Here are some of the top reactions on X:
MS Dhoni 🦁 pic.twitter.com/7TmBz2MiOk
— Shivam🖤 (@_Shivam_says) April 14, 2025MS Dhoni is……. pic.twitter.com/OAxkLzDywN
— Abhishek (@MSDianAbhiii) April 14, 2025This farmer is against planting trees pic.twitter.com/k6mLo1kY9i
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) April 14, 2025“What a win for @ChennaiIPL! Dhoni proves once again why he’s called Thala- not just for his performance, but for the calm, commanding way he led his troops. This isn’t just a victory… it feels like the beginning of a resurrection. The roar is back on Tamil Newyear,” wrote ex-cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth.
“Dhoni finish nahi finisher hai.. picture abhi baaki hai doston,” wrote ex-cricketer Mohammad Kaif.
“Dhoni is the genius of this game. He is the game and you all could lay on the floor, roll around crying about him and yet Nothing would come close to the legacy he has,” commented a fan.”
“Dhoni is the genius of this game. He is the game and you all could lay on the floor, roll around crying about him and yet Nothing would come close to the legacy he has,” commented a fan.”As long as dhoni with chennai super kings it’s hard to put them out of the competition,” remarked a fan.
“Age is just a number when you’re MS Dhoni. Cometh the hour, cometh the legend—finishing like only the GOAT can,” posted a fan.
The team selected MS Dhoni as captain when Ruturaj Gaikwad got injured during the tournament. The five-time champions currently occupy the lowest position in the points table following their seven games resulting in only two victories.
“They were better choices” – MS Dhoni feels the Player of the Match award should have gone to a CSK bowler
During the post-match presentation, MS Dhoni expressed his opinion that the quick bowlers and spinners Noor Ahmad and Ravindra Jadeja of CSK performed admirably. According to him, one of the bowlers ought to be named Player of the Match.
In his four overs, Ahmad gave up just 13 runs, while Jadeja claimed two wickets. Dhoni stated the following after receiving the award:
“I felt that Noor and Ravindra Jadeja bowled well and the fast bowlers too did well, so maybe they were better choices for Player of the Match! I didn’t remember that I last won this award in 2019!”
MS Dhoni
On Sunday, April 20, CSK will now play the Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
