Kolkata Knight Riders’ Eden Gardens stadium was transformed into a sea of yellow for MS Dhoni on Sunday during KKR’s IPL 2023 match against Chennai Super Kings.
There is no official word on whether Dhoni will retire after the 2023 campaign, but there are rumours, and Dhoni’s supporters showed up in force in Kolkata donning the CSK yellow t-shirt.
One indication after another from CSK skipper MS Dhoni suggests that the 2023 IPL season would be his last.
Dhoni indicated that he may have played his final game at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Sunday, April 23, when CSK faced the local team Knight Riders. He had already spoken about being in the final phase of his career in the previous game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
However, it didn’t appear that CSK were playing an away game because people flocked to the famous stadium to watch the main man’ perform in their hometown, maybe for the last time. The audience was more yellow than purple.
Speaking about the overwhelming fan support for him and his squad following the visitors’ stunning 49-run victory, he said, “I will just say thanks for the support, they came in big numbers. Most of these guys will come in a KKR jersey next time. They are trying to give me a farewell, so thanks a lot to the crowd.”
The love comes from there
When Ravi Shastri asked about the overwhelming support for him during the toss, Dhoni was quick to respond that he has a special connection to the place.
“I have played a lot of cricket over here. I had a job at Kharagpur which was two hours from here. The love comes from there,” Dhoni had said before the start of the game
Fast bowlers are doing their job
Despite the boundary being short on one side, Dhoni had nothing but praise for his bowlers for the way they carried out the plans.
“Fast bowlers are doing their job, and so are spinners in the middle. The wicket was short on one side so we needed to get early wickets and keep the pressure. They have plenty of power hitters, so we had to give respect to the opposition.”
Dhoni stated that there is no need to stress over any injuries that are out of his control. Ben Stokes and Deepak Chahar are currently unavailable for CSK.
“I have a clear funda. If someone is injured, he can’t do anything. You just move on and motivate the youngsters to perform. We have been fortunate that all the guys coming in are performing,” he said.
Someone has to sacrifice his slot to allow others
After joining CSK, Ajinkya Rahane has found a new groove in T20 cricket, and Dhoni believes he has been allowed the freedom to conduct himself in whatever he pleases. Everyone can see the outcomes.
“We realise the potential of someone when we allow him to bat the way he bats. We give him freedom, give him the best position. In a team environment, someone has to sacrifice his slot to allow others to get more comfortable, and allow the team to succeed,” he explained.
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