PUNE: Talismanic Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels the pressure and demand of captaincy took a toll on Ravindra Jadeja and affected the all-rounder's mind, resulting in his below-par outing in Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) colours in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).Jadeja was anointed as CSK skipper for the ongoing season after Dhoni decided to step aside, but the all-rounder failed to cope with the pressure and eventually gave up the job, forcing the franchise to fall back on their most trusted lieutenant.Back at the helm of affairs, Dhoni produced instant results as CSK notched up a 13-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad to keep themselves afloat in the tournament. "I think Jadeja knew last season he'd be captaining this year. For the first two games, I oversaw his work and let him be later. After that, I insisted he'd take his own decisions and responsibility for them."Once you become captain, it means a lot of demands come in. But it affected his mind as the tasks grew. I think captaincy burdened his prep and performances," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony.Dhoni said Jadeja taking over the mantle of the side was a gradual transition, which he wanted."He knew and got enough time to prepare, what is important is you want him to lead the side and I wanted that transition to happen. At the end of the season, you don't want him to feel as the captaincy was done by someone else and I'm just going for toss."So it was a gradual transition. Spoon-feeding doesn't really help captain. On the field you have to take those crucial decisions and you have to take responsibility for those decisions. Once you become the captain, we have to take care of lot many things and that also includes your own game," he said. Dhoni hoped Jadeja would reignite as a player after being freed of the captaincy pressure."...if you relieved of captain-ship and if you are at your best, that's what we want. We were also losing a great fielder (Jadeja), we are struggling for a deep mid-wicket fielder, we have dropped 17-18 catches and that's a matter of concern."These are tough games and hopefully we will come back strong, important to communicate with the bowlers," he said.Talking about the match, Dhoni said they managed to put up a defendable score on the board."It was a good score to start off. I did nothing different. It's not like much changes with the change of captain. The target we got was a good one. Dew comes in, so the bowling needed to be good."The spinners did well in the 7- to 14-over period, that was key to the win and gave a surplus of runs, which we could fall back on."SRH skipper Kane Williamson said it is always a challenge to chase down a target in excess off 200 in a T20 game. When anyone gets over 200, it'll always be a challenge chasing it down. I thought we responded well to it, but they kept us under pressure with the total they had."We did show a lot of fight and were unlucky at times with some things that didn't go our way," he saWilliamson said losing Washington Sundar's services in the bowling department after he hurt himself while fielding was a big setback for the team."It (the pitch) was a bit slower. W e did try our best, but losing Washy (Sundar) for the best part of the bowling innings was a struggle for us."Still we can look back at the game with a lot of positives. We came up against quality spinners. At the end of the day, we did show a lot of fight," he said.The SRH skipper said the need of the hour for his side is to stay connected and carry on the good work of the first half of the tournament."We just need to stay connected, we're playing well, and did so at the first half of the tournament (talking about the five straight wins). We just need to touch on a few things, shape well and come back stronger in the next game."—PTI

Talismanic Mahendra Singh Dhoni feels the pressure and demand of captaincy took a toll on Ravindra Jadeja and affected the all-rounder's mind, resulting in his below-par outing in Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) colours in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

IPL 2022: Captaincy pressure was affecting Ravindra Jadeja's game, says CSK skipper MS Dhoni

Mumbai: Delhi Capitals will aim to solve their opening conundrum quickly and boost their chances of making it to the IPL play-offs when they take on a lacklustre Chennai Super Kings at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.DC are currently placed fifth in the 10-team standings with 10 points from as many games after their 21-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last match.Defending champions CSK, on the other hand, are mathematically still there in the tournament although their chances of making it to the play-offs are almost non-existent.The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led CSK is placed in the penultimate position with just six points from 10 games and need to win all its remaining games and depend on results of other matches to progress to the next stage.But going into the business end of the tournament, DC have a major problem at hand -- an able opening partner for the in-form David Warner.Prithvi Shaw has failed to live up to his talent this season, garnering just 259 runs from nine games at an average of 28.77. His replacement in the last match, Mandeep Singh hasn't fared well either with just 18 runs from three outings.And it remains to be seen whether DC opt for Shaw again to partner Warner, which in any case, would be best suited for the team.Warner is DC's top-scorer this season, scoring 356 runs from eight matches with his unbeaten 92 against SRH in the last match being the highest.Skipper Rishabh Pant and Mitchell Marsh have got starts but have failed to replicate that into big scores and it's time the duo rises to the occasion.After a string of low scores, the big-hitting West Indian Rovman Powell has finally found his groove and would look to continue in the same vein.On the bowling front, spinner Kuldeep Yadav (18 wickets) and pacers Khaleel Ahmed (14), Shardul Thakur (10) and Mutafizur Rahman (8) all have picked up wickets but they have been a little on the higher side of the economy rate.Kuldeep, in particular, has been phenomenal for DC, picking up wickets at will with his new-found confidence.The return of pacer Anrich Nortje has only added sting to DC's bowling attack.On the other hand, CSK have been hit hard by injuries and the poor form of some of their key players throughout the season hasn't helped their cause either.While CSK lost key players Deepak Chahar and Adam Milne to injuries for the entire season, poor form of opener Ruturaj Gaikwad and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who relinquished captaincy midway into the tournament, has added to the team's woes.Ambati Rayudu, Dhoni, Shivam Dube and Moeen Ali have played some good knocks on and off but lack consistency with only Devon Conway turning out to be the shinning light with the bat. The Kiwi has collected 144 runs from three matches he has played at an average of 72.In the bowling front, Maheesh Theeksana, Mukesh Chaudhary and Dwayne Bravo have been among wickets but have leaked runs.The CSK's bowling unit would look for an inspirational performance from any of its bowlers in the remainder of the tournament.Delhi Capitals:&nbsp;Rishabh Pant (captain), Ashwin Hebbar, David Warner, Mandeep Singh, Prithvi Shaw,Rovman Powell, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Khaleel Ahmed, Kuldeep Yadav, Lungi Ngidi, Mustafizur Rahman, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel, Kamlesh Nagarkoti,Lalit Yadav, Mitchell Marsh, Pravin Dubey, Ripal Patel, Sarfaraz Khan, Vicky Ostwal, Yash Dhull, KS Bharat and Tim Seifert.Chennai Super Kings:&nbsp;Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Ravindra Jadeja Moeen Ali, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, Ambati Rayadu, Robin Uthappa, Mitchell Santner, Chris Jordan, Adam Milne, Devon Conway, Shivam Dube, Dwaine Pretorius, Maheesh Theekshana, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Tushar Deshpande, KM Asif, C Hari Nishaanth, N Jagadeesan, Subranshu Senapati, K Bhagath Verma, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary—PTI

Delhi Capitals will aim to solve their opening conundrum quickly and boost their chances of making it to the IPL play-offs when they take on a lacklustre Chennai Super Kings at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

IPL: Delhi aim to solve opening conundrum vs CSK

Mumbai: 'I am not a big fan of maths. Even in school, I wasn't good at it. Thinking of the net run-rate doesn't help. You just want to enjoy the IPL.'Chennai Super Kings might have had a 'perfect game' against Delhi Capitals but skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni doesn't want to lose his sleep over qualification for the IPL 2022 play-offs as he feels that even if they fail in that pursuit, it won't be 'end of the world'.CSK beat Delhi Capitals by 91 runs and moved to the eighth position in the league table. They need to win three games and depend on other results to make it as fourth place entrants in the play-offs."If we make the play-offs, great. But even if we don't it's not the end of the world," a pragmatic Dhoni said after the victory against Delhi on Sunday."I am not a big fan of maths. Even in school, I wasn't good at it. Thinking of the net run-rate doesn't help. You just want to enjoy the IPL. When two other teams are playing, you don't want to be under pressure and thinking. You just have to think about what to do in the next game," he said.However, he did admit that the cricket they are playing now could have been played a few game earlier."It would have been better if we would have had a win like this somewhere early. It was a perfect game."Rishabh Pant had no hesitation in admitting that his team was outplayed in every department of the game but it was good to get such a one-sided defeat out of the way."I think they outplayed us in all departments. As Delhi Capitals, we have played a lot of close games, there had to be a game where there is a massive difference between the two sides and unfortunately we are on the receiving end," he said.Pant said that the equation is simple for Delhi Capitals from hereon as they must win three games and not depend on any other result to qualify."The only thing we can look forward to is the next three matches, if we win them then we will qualify."With a net bowler being found COVID-19 positive and opener Prithvi Shaw in the hospital, Pant agreed that a lot of off-the-field incidents were happening but at the same time wouldn't like to use them as an excuse."There is a fair bit going on amongst us, especially COVID-19 and we had few stomach infections, but we are not making an excuse and we just want to keep improving."Right now, we can be more positive and that's what we are going to be talking about to the boys, let's be more proactive and let's be in a good frame of mind to make good decisions in the next few matches," he said—PTI

'I am not a big fan of maths. Even in school, I wasn't good at it. Thinking of the net run-rate doesn't help. You just want to enjoy the IPL.'

Not the end of the world if CSK don't make play-offs: Dhoni

Mumbai: Dwaine Pretorius, a South African all-rounder for the Chennai Super Kings, has revealed that skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s calm demeanour on and off the field is due to the fact that he removes pressure from the equation. CSK may have slipped in the current edition of the tournament, but the 33-year-old bowling all-rounder has said that ‘Captain Cool’ doesn’t mind losing and keeps focusing “on the process,” making him one of the best in the business even at the age of 40. “One of the biggest reasons he (Dhoni) says he doesn’t mind losing is he doesn’t feel like it’s necessary to put any other external pressures on himself. So he takes away the pressure of winning or losing the match and he focuses on the process. The process is something that is super important and allows MS to deal with pressure,” wrote Pretorius on his website Talent-Mastered.com.“He controls his breathing, and he takes away the external pressure of having to win every match or having to win every moment that he’s involved in. Then he knows where his strengths are, and knows which balls he can smoke for a six or which balls he can’t.”Pretorius stated that he learned about a bowler’s mindset while bowling in the death overs from Dhoni. “Another big lesson I took from MS in terms of dealing with pressure at the back end when it comes to death batting is the fact that the bowler only needs to miss once and the pressure is all on him. The bowler’s mindset is — I can’t afford to lose this game. So just this shift in mindset has really made MS one of the best finishers of all time, and I believe that is what makes him successful,” added Pretorius.—IANS

Dwaine Pretorius, a South African all-rounder for the Chennai Super Kings, has revealed that skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s calm demeanour on and off the field is due to the fact that he removes pressure from the equation.

Dhoni takes external pressure out of the equation: Pretorius

Mumbai: Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday confirmed he will be playing for CSK in the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 40-year-old star batter of CSK announced this during the toss against Rajasthan Royals on Friday. The game against Rajasthan Royals is the last fixture for CSK in this edition of IPL.The CSK, which has won IPL four times with Dhoni has captain, has not made it to playoffs this time.Asked if the fans will see him in the yellow jersey again after this IPL season, Dhoni said "it will it be unfair to not play in Chennai and say thank you". "Definitely. It's a simple reason.. it will be unfair to not play in Chennai and say thank you. Mumbai is one place, whereas as a team and as an individual, I have got a lot of love and affection. But it wouldn't be nice to the CSK fans," MS Dhoni said. He hoped that the teams will be travelling to different venues during next year's IPL."And also, hopefully, next year there will be an opportunity where the teams will be travelling so it will be alike thank you to all the different places where we will be playing games at different venues. Whether it will be my last year or not that's a big question, because you know we can't really predict something two years down the line, but definitely, I'll be working hard to come back strong next year," he added. In the ongoing IPL 2022, MS Dhoni had stepped down as the skipper of CSK, passing the reins to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. This led to speculations of this being the final IPL season for Dhoni. However, Dhoni was reappointed as the skipper after Jadeja stepped down mid-way through the tournament.—ANI

Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday confirmed he will be playing for CSK in the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

MS Dhoni confirms he will play for CSK in IPL 2023

Mumbai: &nbsp;Several Chennai Super Kings players have conceded following the team's failed campaign in IPL 2022 that they "did not play" to their expectations, which ultimately contributed to the four-time IPL champions finishing a dismal ninth this season. The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led defending champions won just four of their 14 league games, finishing only above five-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians. "Many people would be saying that we did not have luck going our way or we did not have things going our way. I would be very honest and tell them that we did not play to our expectations. But, as I said, we have to accept things and move forward," said CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Orange Cap winner for scoring the most runs (635) in the 2021 IPL season.One of the main reasons for CSK's poor performance this season was Gaikwad's indifferent form, but the 25-year-old Maharashtra cricketer said that the team will come back stronger next season."You (CSK fans) have our backs. We will come out of this year really stronger next year," he added.CSK's prolific run-getter, New Zealand's Devon Conway, told CSK TV that, "We all know it wasn't quite our year this time. We can accept that and move on. We will bounce back next year. It's not because of lack of trying or practice, we just didn't quite play at our best this year. Things will be better next year, for sure."Young right-arm pace bowler Simarjeet Singh indicated that during the latter part of the IPL 2022 season, self-doubts had started creeping into the minds of the players after a series of losses in spite of due processes being followed. "When you lose, even if the process that you followed was the right one, you tend to question it. In hindsight, you feel as if you could have done things in a different way. But, we all are trying to learn something from this. From every game, if we try to extract as many learnings as possible, that will hold us in good stead," said Singh.Sri Lankan pace bowler Maheesh Theekshana felt that despite the failed season, it was important the players don't lose trust in their ability ahead of the next IPL season. "All the guys really did well, but we were not consistent. Like MS Dhoni says, trust in your ability, do what you can do, result does not matter. The process matters," said Theekshana. On a positive note, batter Shivam Dube, who played some good innings, said, "The story is not complete yet. It is not over."—IANS

Several Chennai Super Kings players have conceded following the team's failed campaign in IPL 2022 that they "did not play" to their expectations, which ultimately contributed to the four-time IPL champions finishing a dismal ninth this season.

CSK players concede they had self-doubts after a string of losses

Mumbai: Mahendra Singh Dhoni's World Cup winning six resides in India's collective consciousness and it was a shot that changed a lot of lives, including that of little-known Solapur athlete Kiran Navgire. And so, athletics' loss became cricket's gain as the former Maharashtra state level athlete decided that there is no fun if she can't tonk the ball like her "idol".Eleven years later, at 28, Navgire, who plays domestic cricket for Nagaland, has found instant stardom with some of the most biggest sixes that one has ever seen from an Indian batter.In her very second big stage game in the Women's T20 Challenger, the right-handed Navgire hit the fastest fifty for her team Velocity and her 34-ball-69 will certainly be remembered for a long time, especially the five sixes. "I really feel good when I hit sixes and whenever I practise in the nets. I practice hitting sixes, I follow Dhoni Sir and I love finishing like him, hitting big sixes," Navgire told her teammate Yastika Bhatia during an interaction for bcci.tv. For her, Dhoni's unbeaten 91 against Sri Lanka made her set new goals as she concentrated more on athletics, kho-kho, kabaddi during her formative years while helping out her father in family farm in Solapur district's Mire village. "I watched the 2011 World Cup final and Dhoni Sir's winning sixer is something that impressed me and remained imprinted in my head. That six inspired me and I always feel that in every match, I can hit a six like that," said the stockily built Navgire, who was a state level shot-putter.On Thursday, Velocity skipper Deepti Sharma sent her up the order at No. 3 and Navgire didn't disappoint anyone, taking international bowlers like Poonam Yadav, Salma Khatun and Rajeshwari Gayakwad to the cleaners. "I dont like playing dot balls and want to score something off every ball and hence I got a good score," her answers were as uncomplicated as her lofted hits."In domestic cricket, I hadn't batted up the order but I had a good season there and had some good scores. My game revolves around my power hitting ability and if it's in my arc, I send it out of the park and if there are good balls, I like to rotate strikes playing singles and doubles," Navgire said. She admitted that she was a bit nervous at the start but coach Devika Palshikar's sound advice did help a lot. "Initially, I was a bit nervous bit then everything settled down. The captain (Deepti) and teammates gave me lot of confidence. Coach Devika ma'am said 'you don't need to look at the bowler but at the ball and I did just that," she added.—PTI

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's World Cup winning six resides in India's collective consciousness and it was a shot that changed a lot of lives, including that of little-known Solapur athlete Kiran Navgire.

How Dhoni inspired this woman cricketer to hit sixes!

Mumbai: Helicopter cricket shot expert and former India team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has now taken an investment shot in drone-as-a-service (DaaS) player Garuda Aerospace. Dhoni plays a dual role in Garuda Aerospace as a shareholder and as a brand ambassador.Further Garuda Aerospace is the first drone start-up to rope in a celebrity brand ambassador. Details about the investment by Dhoni in Garuda Aerospace and the brand endorsement deals have not been disclosed. Equipped with 300 drones and 500 pilots operating in 26 cities, Garuda Aerospace drone-manufacturing facilities were recently launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I'm happy to be a part of Garuda Aerospace and look forward to witness their growth story with the unique drone solutions they have to offer," Dhoni was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the drone company on Monday.—IANS

Helicopter cricket shot expert and former India team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has now taken an investment shot in drone-as-a-service (DaaS) player Garuda Aerospace. Dhoni plays a dual role in Garuda Aerospace as a shareholder and as a brand ambassador.

Helicopter cricket shot expert MS Dhoni now takes a drone shot

Mumbai: Preparing for the upcoming T20 series against India, South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius on Monday said he would like to inculcate the legendary MS Dhoni's calmness and self-belief.The South African made his IPL debut for Chennai Super Kings this year after joining the franchise for a base price of Rs 50 lakh.Pretorius played just six matches, scoring 44 runs and claiming six wickets with best bowling figures of 2 for 30. The limited opportunities notwithstanding, Pretorius said playing alongside Dhoni has been his biggest gain."Playing my first IPL was a great experience. It was one of my bucket list items and that too to get the opportunity to&nbsp;play for CSK, one of the most successful franchises. I enjoyed every moment of it. You get a lot of responsibility as a player. "I really enjoyed playing under Dhoni as well and batting with him, seeing the brand value he has in India just shows how big he is and what he has done for the sport in this country. It was awesome being a part of that," the 33-year-old said."The biggest thing that I have learnt from him is how calm he is at the crease, the way he takes the pressure off himself and tries to put it on to the bowler."He made me realise that at the death it's actually the bowlers who are under pressure. It was a fresh mindset and also he doesn't get too excited and is always optimistic."He believes he can do anything and I am going to try to bring his calmness and self-belief into my game," Pretorius added.Asked about the series against India, Pretorius said it is a great opportunity for some South African players to cement their places in the national team ahead of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia. It would also be great to know (the strengths and weakness) of the Indian team going into the World Cup."A strong performance in this series is key for players keeping the T20 World Cup in mind. India is a strong T20 side and if we do well in this series, we can consider ourselves as strong contender," he said."Performances in this series is going to go far to secure a spot in the World Cup.Pretorius is targeting the series to establish himself as one of the best all-rounders in world cricket."You test yourself as a player against some of the best T20 players of the world. Personally, I want to push myself and make a good impact for the team. From a personal note, I want to win the series going into the World Cup." I want to establish myself as a leading T20 all-rounder in this series going into the T20 World Cup," he said.The ICC T20 World Cup will be hosted by Australia from October 16 to November 13.The five-match T20 series between India and South Africa starts here on Thursday, followed by matches in Cuttack (June 12), Visakhapatnam (June 14), Rajkot (June 17) and Bengaluru (June 19).—PTI

Preparing for the upcoming T20 series against India, South African all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius on Monday said he would like to inculcate the legendary MS Dhoni's calmness and self-belief.

Pretorius wants to inculcate Dhoni's calmness

New Delhi : At the domestic level, he captained Chennai Super Kings to IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021 apart from two now-defunct Champions League T20 titles in 2010 and 2014. Dhoni is fondly remembered for his attacking stroke play, keeping a calm head as a skipper in under-pressure situations, giving him the tag of "captain cool".Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who still commands a huge fan following among cricket fans, turns 41 on Thursday, July 7. The Ranchi-based Dhoni, recognised as one of India's most successful captains, led the team to victories in the 2007 Men's T20 World Cup, 2011 Men's Cricket World Cup in ODIs and 2013 Champions Trophy apart from going on top of Test rankings in 2009.At the domestic level, he captained Chennai Super Kings to IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021 apart from two now-defunct Champions League T20 titles in 2010 and 2014. Dhoni is fondly remembered for his attacking stroke play, keeping a calm head as a skipper in under-pressure situations, giving him the tag of "captain cool".He etched his name in the minds of cricket fans forever with his match-winning six off Nuwan Kulasekara in the final of the 2011 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to give India the trophy on home soil, ending a wait of 28 years as World Champions in ODI format. In 538 matches in international cricket, Dhoni scored 17,266 at an average of 44.96, with 634 catches and 195 stumpings done as a wicketkeeper.Currently, Dhoni, who retired from international cricket in 2020, is in the UK and celebrated his birthday with his friends and family, with India wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant joining in as well. He was also spotted watching Wimbledon matches in London on Wednesday. On social media, many former and current cricketers led the birthday wishes for "Captain Cool". IANS

At the domestic level, he captained Chennai Super Kings to IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021 apart from two now-defunct Champions League T20 titles in 2010 and 2014. Dhoni is fondly remembered for his attacking stroke play, keeping a calm head as a skipper in under-pressure situations, giving him the tag of "captain cool".

 MS Dhoni turns 41, cricket fraternity extends birthday wishes for "Captain Cool"

Patna (The Hawk): Five persons who were using the name of former cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni to deceive people through random calls have been detained by Patna Police.
The accused made random phone calls to potential victims while operating out of a two-bedroom rental apartment in Patna's KhemniChak neighbourhood. They provided credit cards, bank loans, insurance, GST invoices, KYC updates, and other services.
"Gautam Kumar, Bharat Kumar, Aakash Sinha alias Chotu, Rajiv Ranjan, and Aakash Kumar are the defendants. They created a website for the fictitious company Dhani Finance Ltd. and operated it out of a two-bedroom apartment. Additionally, they made use of Mahendra Singh Dhoni's name and image "explained Patna's Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Manavjeet Singh Dhillon.
Two of the suspects were riding a bike in the Patna neighbourhood of Patrakar Nagar when the event was discovered. Patrakar Nagar SHO Manoranjan Bharti was patrolling at the time. After becoming suspicious of the bikers' behaviour, he pursued them and eventually caught them.
"They disclosed the location where they were operating the business to deceive people while being questioned. Three more suspects were detained there during our operation. One bike, a laptop, ten mobile phones, dairies, and Rs. 1.45 lakh in cash had been confiscated "said Dhillon.
(Inputs from Agencies)

Five persons who were using the name of former cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni to deceive people through random calls have been detained by Patna Police.

Five detained in Patna for using Dhoni's name to defraud people

Mumbai News: What happens when two men - absolute legends in their fields - meet? There are fireworks all around and that's what happened when the playback singer Arijit Singh met former Indian cricket team captain, M.S. Dhoni recently.

While Dhoni is regarded as one of India's best skippers, Arijit is currently India's biggest singing sensation with countless chartbusters to his credit.

Arijit was performing live at the opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League at Ahmedabad. After the opening ceremony, the players of the Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans met the performers. When Dhoni and Arijit met, the 'Channa Mereya' hitmaker touched the feet of the legendary cricketer in an expression of gratitude towards him. Dhoni also embraced Arijit. The moment grabbed the attention of many fans and the picture has gone viral since then with netizens praising Arijit for his humility and respect for Dhoni.

Notably, Tamannaah Bhatia and Rashmika Mandanna also performed in the ceremony alongside Arijit. IANS

Playback singer Arijit Singh met former Indian cricket team captain, M.S. Dhoni recently.

When legends meet: Arijit Singh touches Dhoni's feet at IPL opening ceremony

Chennai News: After a tense 12-run victory against Lucknow Super Giants in the ongoing IPL 2023, Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni gave a polite warning to his fast bowlers to stop bowling no-balls and wides or else they will have to play under a new captain.

Notably, the pace duo of Deepak Chahar (0/55) and Tushar Deshpande (2/45), who came in for Ambati Rayudu as Impact Player, bowled three wides and two no-balls during LSG's run-chase at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Monday night.
The 41-year old CSK skipper pointed out that his side's pacers need to improve and bowl according to the conditions.

"It's the fast bowling that will need to improve slightly and bowl according to the conditions. Even if it's on the flatter side, force batters to hit over the fielders. They'll have to bowl no no balls and less wides. We are bowling too many extra deliveries and need to cut them out otherwise they'll be playing under a new captain," Dhoni said during the post-match presentation ceremony.

Though most of the CSK pacers didn't have a great game, the trio of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, and Moeen Ali guided Chennai Super Kings to victory over Lucknow Super Giants at their fortress.

Gaikwad hit his second successive fifty and stitched a 110-run opening stand with Conway (47 off 29) as CSK posted a commanding 217 for 7 after being sent into bat. Then Moeen Ali came back with a brilliant spell of 4 for 26 from his four overs to help CSK restrict LSG to 205 for seven, securing a thrilling win at the homecoming.

"Terrific high-scoring game. All of us were thinking how the wicket would be. It was the perfect first game that could happen. I thought it would be much slower. But it was a wicket where you could score runs," Dhoni said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I was quite surprised with the wicket. But we'll have to see if we can produce a wicket like this game after game," he added. IANS

IPL 2023: Stop bowling no-balls and wides or play under new captain, Dhoni gives polite warning to CSK pacers

Chennai: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is on the verge of adding another feather to his cap in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) as he is set to make his 200th appearance as the captain of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the match against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Wednesday here at MA Chidambaram Stadium.

The former India skipper already holds the record for the most-capped player in the history of IPL with 237 caps, out of which he has captained on 213 occasions. Besides CSK, Dhoni has also led Pune Supergiants in 2016.

The experienced CSK and India all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, praised Dhoni's record and referred to him as a legend in both Indian cricket and CSK. He also expressed that defeating the RR would be the ideal way to honour Dhoni on his 200th match as captain.

"What can I say! He is a legend of not only CSK, he is also a legend of Indian cricket. I would like to wish him good luck. Hopefully, we will win the game tomorrow and give it as a gift to him on his 200th match as captain. Hope to continue the momentum of how we have played in the last two games," Jadeja told reporters ahead of the match against RR.

Reflecting on the Chepauk wicket, Jadeja said the game against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) was not like the usual Chepauk wicket and the bowler had to adjust according to the situation.

"If you are playing in Chennai, you have to bowl according to the wicket. In Chennai, the wickets are favouring spinners, so I don't think we can try too many different things. We can just stick to the basic line and length. It also depends on the field we are bowling with.

Last game we played here, the wicket was very good. Both teams scored 200 plus. It was not like a typical Chennai wicket. So, I think this wicket will also play the same. It might be on the slower side, but it is what it is. You have to adjust according to the wicket," Jadeja said. IANS

IPL 2023: Jadeja shares a special message as Dhoni set to add another feather to his cap

Chennai: Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya expressed his delight over MS Dhoni's success after Chennai Super Kings (CSK) secured a place in the IPL 2023 final.  He also mentioned that it would be delightful to encounter him in the final match on Sunday.  Put into bat, the CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad starred with the bat as he hit a flamboyant 60(44) to lay the platform. Towards the end, Ambati Rayudu, Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali chipped in with cameos as CSK managed to post a competitive total of 172/7.  In reply, GT couldn't manage to build up any significant partnerships as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Ravindra Jadeja (2/18) and Maheesh Theekshana (2/28) then spun a web around the GT batters with spin, pace and bounce as a collective bowling effort saw CSK bowl GT out for 157 and cruise into their 10th IPL final.  Speaking after the loss Hardik said basic errors cost them the game, adding that the team doesn't need to dwell too deeply on the defeat and instead, our focus is on regrouping and preparing for Qualifier two.  "I think we were quite spot-on (with the ball), but we made basic errors and that cost us the game. The kind of bowlers we had, I felt we conceded 15 extra runs. A lot of things we did right. We bowled a couple of soft balls in between. We were executing our plans and then in between we gave some runs. I don't think we need to look much into it.  "We have to play two days later, we have to play one more game to make sure we reach the final. Just focus on the things that we've done really well this season," said Hardik at the post-match presentation.  Hardik further congratulated Dhoni and said the CSK skipper has made it seem like he adds an additional 10 runs to the team's total through strategic use of his bowlers.  "That's the beauty about him (Dhoni), with his mind and the way he uses the bowlers, he'll make sure that you'll feel like he's adding 10 runs. We kept losing wickets, he kept changing the bowlers, credit to him. Happy for him, would be nice to meet him on Sunday.  "Regrets are not good in life. We expected dew would come; it didn't come. We didn't do right in both departments. We'll give a crack again after two days," said Hardik. —IANS

Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya expressed his delight over MS Dhoni's success after Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

IPL 2023: Happy for Dhoni, would be nice to meet him in the final, says Hardik

Ahmedabad: Following Chennai Super Kings' remarkable victory in the IPL 2023, the triumphant captain, MS Dhoni, has left open the possibility of participating in the next season.
Speculations regarding Dhoni's potential retirement have been circulating since the commencement of 2023 IPL, hinting that this edition could mark his final appearance in the tournament. Under Dhoni's leadership, CSK clinched their fifth record-equalling fifty IPL title, here on Monday.
In a final that was pushed to the reserve day owing to heavy rain, Chennai were set a revised target of 171 in 15 overs when the rain had stopped play a few balls into their innings after the Gujarat Titans had rode on a quickfire 96 by Sai Sudharsan and a half-century by Wriddhiman Saha to post 214/4 in 20 overs.
CSK looked in trouble as they needed 13 from the final over. Mohit Sharma bowled four superb deliveries, conceding just three runs before Ravindra Jadeja hammered a six and a four off the last two deliveries to seal a dramatic victory for CSK in the thriller.
After the win, when the CSK skipper came up for a chat at the post-match presentation, Harsha Bhogle did not waste any time and jumped right to the main question. "We meet again. We meet again like we so often do after these title wins. Should I ask you something or are you going to tell me something anyway?" To which, Dhoni replied, "it's better if you ask and then I reply." Bhogle said: "I asked you when you last won a trophy, about the legacy you leave behind in CSK. You said 'I haven't left it behind yet." Dhoni said, "Looking for an answer? Circumstantially if you see, this is the best time to announce my retirement. But the amount of love and affection I have been shown wherever I have been this year, the easy thing would be for me to say 'Thank you very much', but the tough thing for me is to work hard for another 9 months and come back and play at least 1 more season of IPL. A lot depends on the body, I have 6-7 months to decide. It will be more like a gift from my side, it's not easy for me but that's a gift."
Dhoni openly acknowledged that tears welled up in his eyes upon hearing the crowd chant his name during the inaugural match of the 2023 Indian Premier League against the Titans at the same venue. "You do get emotional simply because it's the last part of my career, it started over here and the first game when I walked down everyone was chanting my name. My eyes were full of water and I just stood there in the dugout for a while. I realised I want to enjoy this.
"It was the same thing in Chennai, it was my last game over there but it will be good to come back and play whatever I can. I think they love me for what I am, they love that I am so grounded, I don't try to portray something I'm not. Just keep it simple."
The CSK skipper has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first cricketer to participate in 250 IPL matches. Additionally, he has captained the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in an impressive 10 IPL finals, emerging victorious in five of those. It's worth noting that in 2017, while representing the Rising Pune Supergiants, Dhoni also competed in the IPL final.—IANS

 Following Chennai Super Kings' remarkable victory in the IPL 2023, the triumphant captain, MS Dhoni

‘It Will Be More Like A Gift From My Side’: Dhoni Hints Potential Comeback Next Season

New Delhi:The world's best cricketers, including Indian greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, and Virender Sehwag, sent their best wishes to Mahendra Singh Dhoni on his 42nd birthday on Friday.
May you always soar high like your helicopter shots," Tendulkar captioned a photo of himself and sent to the skipper of the Chennai Super Kings. Bless your heart, MS! In a professional career spanning over two decades, Dhoni has led India and the IPL team CSK to numerous victories with his characteristic helicopter shot.
With the caption, "The Sun God has 7 horses to pull his heavenly chariot," Sehwag uploaded a photo collage of some of his favourite memories with Dhoni, both on and off the pitch. The Rigveda lists seven things: the seven continents, the seven seasons, and the seven fortresses; the seven basic musical notes, the seven pheras of a marriage, and the seven wonders of the universe. And today, the seventh of the seventh month, is MS Dhoni's birthday. Dhoni, a native of Ranchi, Bihar, made his Test debut in 2005 against Sri Lanka and played his final game in the longest format in December 2014 against Australia.—Inputs from Agencies

The world's best cricketers, including Indian greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, and Virender Sehwag, sent their best wishes to Mahendra Singh Dhoni on his 42nd birthday on Friday.

Summer of 42: MS Dhoni turns a year older

New Delhi: A day after enjoying a tennis match in the ongoing US Open Grand Slam tournament, former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was seen indulging in a round of golf with ex-US President Donald Trump.
Hitesh Sanghvi, a Dubai-based Entrepreneur, shared a picture of Dhoni engaged in a game of golf with the former US President at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey.
“Golf with @mahi7781, @realdonaldtrump and @rajiv.knack. Thank you Mr President for hosting us,” Sanghvi wrote on his Instagram account.
In one of his Instagram stories, Sanghvi posted a video where both Dhoni and Trump can be seen playing golf together.
On Wednesday, Dhoni was seen in attendance at the US Open men’s singles quarterfinal match between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev.
Earlier this year, Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to record-equalling fifth IPL title, beating Gujarat Titans in the final. He had played the entire IPL 2023 season for Chennai with a left knee issue which was also spotted to be heavily strapped.
After the IPL, he underwent a successful left knee surgery, which was done by Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala at a Mumbai hospital.
Dhoni’s successful knee surgery sparked optimism about his participation in the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League next year.
After 2023 IPL final, Dhoni had said he would return for at least one more season for the fans, if his body allows him to do so.&nbsp;
—IANS

A day after enjoying a tennis match in the ongoing US Open Grand Slam tournament, former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was seen

MS Dhoni spotted playing golf with former US President Donald Trump

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Known to draw eyeballs with literally everything he does, former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is yet again courting headlines with his new hairstyle and his fans simply can't stop gushing over it. On Tuesday morning, celebrity hairstylist Aalim Hakim took to his Instagram account to share a series of pictures of MS Dhoni and tagged it with a message that read, “amazing opportunity to get associated with Mahendra Singh Dhoni".
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/aalimhakim/?img_index=8" target="_self">https://www.instagram.com/aalimhakim/?img_index=8</a>&nbsp;
He captioned the post as “Yessss!!! It’s our Mahendra Singh Dhoni. It’s an amazing opportunity for any creative person to get associated with Mahendra Singh Dhoni and I’m always grateful that I get this honour to show my craft by styling his hair….We have done some really cool different hairstyles in the past but before the last IPL when everyone was cutting their hair sharp and short... That time Mahi bhai showed me one image of his which was a fanmade image of him with long hair and I just got fascinated with that image and requested him to grow his hair long… We both promised eachother that will not touch his hair and keep growing it and then we will cut &amp; style it.” In the pictures, MSD could be seen in his new long-haired look, complimenting it with a black t-shirt and a pair of matching black shades. “I have been a huge fan of Mahi bhai’s long hair. We decided to create an all-new texture and colour for the hair. I really enjoyed creating this effortless hairstyle for Mahi bhai. So here I am sharing some images that I clicked before he went to give a shot for an ad film. Always a pleasure to work with him,” he added. Soon after the celebrity hairstylist shared the pictures, fans swamped the comment section with red heart and fire emoticons. Actor Aparshakti Khurana wrote, “Wowwww Aaaaalim Bhai! Looks Fab!.” Anil Kapoor commented, “He’s looking great aalim .. great haircut and the aalim touch.” Ranveer Singh dropped a red heart emoticon. A user wrote, “That vintage look.” A talismanic wicket-keeper batsman, who went by the nickname 'Captain Cool' while turning out in national colours, Dhoni led India in 332 matches, the most by a captain in international cricket. Of these, he won 178, lost 120, and tied six while 15 ended in no result. His win percentage as a captain is 53.61. These numbers, combined with the trophies he has won, makes him India's most successful captain ever.  In these 332 matches, he scored 11,207 runs in 330 innings at an average of 46.89 and a strike rate of over 76. He scored 11 centuries and 71 fifties as a captain, with the best score of 224. Suffice it to say, the burden of captaincy did not affect MS at all.  His success at the international level spilled over to franchise cricket as well. He represented and led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rising Pune Supergiant (RPG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhoni won five IPL titles with CSK in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023. He also won two Champions League T20 titles with CSK in 2010 and 2014.  Despite the immense responsibility as a captain, Dhoni's batting was not affected a bit while playing for his franchises as well.  In 250 IPL matches, he has scored 5,082 runs at an average of 38.79 and a strike rate of 135.92. He has scored 24 half-centuries, with the best score of 84*. He is the seventh-highest run-scorer in IPL history.
—ANI

Known to draw eyeballs with literally everything he does, former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is yet again courting headlines

M.S Dhoni sports new hairstyle, Bollywood celebs, fans react

Mumbai (Maharashtra): 'RRR' actor Ram Charan on Wednesday dropped a picture with former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni and called him "India's pride". Taking to Instagram, Ram Charan shared the picture which he captioned, "Soo Happy to meet India's pride."
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx-dtgisxLI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_self">https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx-dtgisxLI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading</a>&nbsp;
In the picture, Dhoni could be seen in his new long hair look and donning a blue t-shirt paired with beige pants, whereas Charan wore an olive green shirt paired with matching pants. Soon after the 'RRR' actor shared the picture, fans flooded the comment section with red hearts and fire emoticons. "#Happy to see u both on one frame," a fan commented. Another fan wrote, "Both are the Kings of their respective Fields." On Wednesday, Charan offered prayers at the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai. He will be next seen in director Shankar's upcoming action film 'Game Changer' opposite Kiara Advani. 'Game Changer' will be released in three languages - Telugu, Tamil and Hindi. The film also stars SJ Suryah, Jayaram, Anjali, and Srikanth. The official release date of 'Game Changer' is still awaited. Talking about MS Dhoni, a talismanic wicket-keeper batsman, who went by the nickname 'Captain Cool' while turning out in national colours, Dhoni led India in 332 matches, the most by a captain in international cricket. Of these, he won 178, lost 120, and tied six while 15 ended in no result. His win percentage as a captain is 53.61. These numbers, combined with the trophies he has won, make him India's most successful captain ever. In these 332 matches, he scored 11,207 runs in 330 innings at an average of 46.89 and a strike rate of over 76. He scored 11 centuries and 71 fifties as a captain, with the best score of 224. Suffice it to say, the burden of captaincy did not affect MS at all. His success at the international level spilled over to franchise cricket as well. He represented and led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rising Pune Supergiant (RPG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhoni won five IPL titles with CSK in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023. He also won two Champions League T20 titles with CSK in 2010 and 2014. Despite the immense responsibility as a captain, Dhoni's batting was not affected a bit while playing for his franchises as well. In 250 IPL matches, he has scored 5,082 runs at an average of 38.79 and a strike rate of 135.92. He has scored 24 half-centuries, with the best score of 84*. He is the seventh-highest run-scorer in IPL history.
—ANI

 'RRR' actor Ram Charan on Wednesday dropped a picture with former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni and called him "India's pride".

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IPL 2022: Captaincy pressure was affecting Ravindra Jadeja's game, says CSK skipper MS Dhoni

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IPL 2022: Captaincy pressure was affecting Ravindra Jadeja's game, says CSK skipper MS Dhoni

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