Aakash Chopra said that MS Dhoni demonstrated that he is still at his devastating best during the Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) IPL 2024 loss to the Delhi Capitals (DC).
After deciding to bat first in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, March 31, the Capitals set CSK a target of 192 runs. Despite Dhoni’s undefeated 37 off 16 deliveries in the run chase, the five-time winners fell by 20 runs.
In a YouTube video, Aakash Chopra stated that Dhoni’s spectacular knock drew more attention than DC’s victory.
“Mahi is cool. It was full money’s worth. He is not a player but an emotion, there is something special in him. Mahi was hitting, Mahi is hitting, and it seems like Mahi will keep hitting. Delhi – more than your win, the talk is about Chennai’s loss, because MS Dhoni rewound the clock.”
“He turned back the pages of history. He showed that whether a win was possible or not, the emotions in the heart are the same, and the love is still alive because he has still got it, that’s what he said.”
Aakash Chopra
Dhoni came out to bat as CSK was down to 120/6 after 16.1 overs. He controlled an unbroken 51-run seventh-wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja (21* off 17), but was unable to lead his team to victory.
“You couldn’t have won the match” – Aakash Chopra Analyzes MS Dhoni’s Entry into the Game Situation
According to Aakash Chopra, when MS Dhoni joined Ravindra Jadeja in the middle, the match was essentially out of reach for CSK.
“Let’s be fair, the match had already gone when Shivam Dube, Daryl Mitchell, and Ajinkya Rahane had gotten out. You couldn’t have won the match. However, so what if you couldn’t have won the match, you could have won hearts at least, and MS Dhoni showed that by doing it.”
Aakash Chopra
The reputable expert stated that the former CSK captain thwarted the DC bowlers’ intentions.
“What shots he played – firstly a pull off the first ball. This innings should be watched after putting it in a loop because he completely rewound the clock, that’s how he used to do it earlier. The bowlers started bowling wide so that they wouldn’t get hit for a six with a helicopter shot. He said that it wouldn’t matter as he would hit over cover.”
Aakash Chopra
Chopra pointed out that Dhoni was up against powerful bowlers such as Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Kumar, and Anrich Nortje after being out of competitive cricket for ten months.
He also stated that the experienced wicketkeeper-batsman rejected singles and made sure that the fans got their money’s worth, particularly when he took Anrich Nortje to the cleaners in the last over.