Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spinner Ravichandran Ashwin shared his awe at the Chepauk crowd’s reaction to MS Dhoni’s entrance during their IPL 2025 match against Mumbai Indians (MI). Dhoni walked in to bat in the penultimate over after Ravindra Jadeja’s run-out, triggering a massive roar from the home crowd.
CSK was nearing victory but faced pressure due to regular wickets. Despite being favorites, MI kept the contest alive. Dhoni played two dot balls off Naman Dhir, pushing the game to the final over. However, he didn’t get back on strike, as Rachin Ravindra sealed the four-wicket win with a six off Mitchell Santner.
Having returned to CSK after a decade, this was the first time Ravichandran Ashwin experienced the legendary Chepauk reception from the dressing room.
“When MS Dhoni came out to bat in Chennai, there was so much noise and chaos, that we forgot the situation of the game only. Obviously, MS Dhoni has earned the love. It was for the first time I was seeing that reception from the CSK dressing room, I always saw it from the outside,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
The victory against MI marked MS Dhoni’s first competitive match since the 2024 IPL season. While there was speculation about his future, it was settled when CSK retained him as an uncapped player during the off-season.
“Everyone forgot the match situation” – R Ashwin on MS Dhoni’s impact
As noted earlier, the game was still in the balance when MS Dhoni arrived at the crease. MI’s spinners kept the pressure on, pushing CSK’s lower order to the brink. However, a well-settled Rachin Ravindra remained at the other end, anchoring the chase and playing sensibly to the situation.
“I was padded up, I was the next batter. I went inside and asked Ruturaj how is the wicket and all that because we still needed 4 runs, but everyone forgot that a match was on the line,” Ashwin recalled.
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