MS Dhoni special at Wankhede: In 250th CSK match, legendary batter hits three consecutive sixes

Wankhede Stadium surprisingly wore a yellow look on Sunday night in the contest between home side Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Batting first, Shivam Dube was smashing the ball around the park for CSK. Daryl Mitchell was there for company late in the inning. But the crowd, clearly, were hoping for another player in yellow. When Mitchell mistimed one to long-on, the crowd roared - half for MI getting a wicket and half for what was to come next. MS Dhoni, playing his 250th match for CSK, made his way down the stairs from the away dressing room.

The stadium has a special place for MS Dhoni. And vice versa. It is here that MS Dhoni played a special inning for India to win the 2011 ODI World Cup - winning it with a six against Sri Lanka. The place where the ball landed has a replica of the World Cup trophy and a photograph of the team. Ahead of this IPL fixture, MS Dhoni was rekindled with the World Cup trophy. But his focus was firmly on the next couple of balls. Hardik Pandya had the job to stop the legendary former India and CSK captain.

MS Dhoni had come out to bat for only the fourth time in IPL 2024. He had scored an unbeaten 37 off 16 balls against Delhi Capitals in Visakhapatnam. He had hit two sixes and two fours in the last over bowled by Anrich Nortje, helping CSK reduce the margin of defeat.

Pandya started with a length ball on Sunday. It was wide outside off. Dhoni stood still and smacked it way over long-off. First-ball six.

Next, another length ball, same outcome. This one went way over long-on - flat and long. Second-ball six.

Two sixes in two balls. Everyone needed a breather. Tim David ran up to Pandya and exchanged a few words. MS Dhoni, meanwhile, assessed the field. Pandya was under pressure having bowled wides in the over and now after being hit for consecutive sixes.

Pandya looked for a yorker next ball but ended up bowling a full toss, which Dhoni flicked over backward square leg. “Mayhem Singh Dhoni” flashed on the big screen. Third-ball six.

Dhoni became only the third batter to hit the first three balls of his innings for sixes in the IPL.

With one ball to go and having seen three balls go into the stands, Pandya decided to modify the field. The MI skipper took the pace off the next one, also outside off, and as Dhoni looked to make it four-in-four, he only got an inside edge for two runs.

20 runs in four balls took CSK to 206 runs and proved the difference. Chennai would go on to win by exactly 20 runs . “Definitely our young wicket-keeper scoring those three sixes down the order.. I think it helped a lot and in the end, I think that’s the difference,” said newly installed CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad in the post-match presentation.

If you’re counting, MS Dhoni’s six count this IPL season is 16 in 82 balls. 124 of his 163 runs have come in boundaries.