THALA MS Dhoni wins hearts again in IPL blockbuster

At the end of a starry night, when the rising moon was in its fourth phase and could still be seen despite the floodlight glare, the calm of Dhoni ensured CSK cantered into the final.

THALA MS Dhoni wins hearts again in IPL blockbuster

MS Dhoni (Image Credits: iplt20.com)

MS Dhoni makes you sweat, literally. On Tuesday night in Chennai, hot and humid, despite the gentle evening sea breeze, the Chennai Super Kings showed why he is a leader born to rule. MSD means hype, hope, and hysteria, for fans. His relationship with lakhs of fans in canary yellow CSK colors, be it inside the stadium or elsewhere around the world, has been legendary.

Perhaps, in one of the biggest matches in recent times in the IPL, Dhoni showed to his opposite side captain from Gujarat Titans, Hardik Pandya, captaincy and leadership are his domain. A few hours before the match, Hardik Pandya had gone viral on social media, where he talked of how Dhoni had helped him in cricket in many ways.

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People listen to Dhoni attentively, each thing he has to say is loaded with meaning. In an age when we have TED talkers and many more guys who talk ”motivational stuff”, Dhoni is the master skipper, strategist, and motivator. Yes, he had offered a lot of “gyaan” to Pandya but when there is going to be a test, nay exam, Dhoni still comes better prepared.

On a night when Chennai was soaked in sweat and joy, where fans partied inside the famous Chepauk and wherever else in the southern metropolis, the result was clear. No, one is not talking about CSK sealing a spot in the final, but how Captain Cool MSD showed Pandya he still has a lot more to learn in the Indian tradition of “Guru/Shishya”.

Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni in conversation
Hardik Pandya and MS Dhoni in conversation post game (Image Credits: iplt20.com)

Mythology says one student, Ekalavya, was ready to offer his thumb to his Guru for learning archery. Well, Pandya needs to do nothing like that. As long as he was not dazed or fazed by how Dhoni conducted the master class in captaincy, he will learn a lot.

For Dhoni, winning this match is no big deal. For well over two decades, he has been part of Indian cricket, won India two ICC trophies and so many more for CSK in the IPL. Yet, even as his mental cunning is so visible, he brings the best out of his team. This CSK side has a weak bowling attack, said experts. Well, in the field of play, reputations do not matter. What matters is how the master commands the foot soldiers. Dhoni is the field marshal, and he commands his men like a true leader.

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Dhoni’s gift of reading and playing conditions still unparallel

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(Image Credits: iplt20.com)

In conventional wars, Army Generals would get great respect for acumen and leadership. After all, to lead men on the war front and risk their lives is not a great job. In cricket, Dhoni does not risk the lives of his teammates, what he does is orders them. The common man cannot see it, really. He gives instructions that have to be picked up be it moving the fielder a few inches away from his spot to cut off a boundary or grab the catch. Dhoni will set it up, provided the players on the field listen to him.

Rarely will you find Dhoni losing his cool in full glare. Even his stare cannot be captured on TV really, for he comes from a generation where admonition in public is banal. At the end of a starry night, when the rising moon was in its fourth phase and could still be seen despite the floodlight glare, the calm of Dhoni ensured CSK cantered into the final.

At the end, if this was about strategy and leadership, Dhoni showed that he has that gift of reading and playing conditions the best. He knows his side’s total was not high, more so after one watched in the last set of league matches three centuries being belted out by Cameron Green, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill. The same Gill who banged a ton against RCB, could not come up with a big knock against CSK.

To be sure, Dhoni was stifling the Gujarat Titans batters. It was a bit like watching the choke chain being used. Well, Titans will get another tilt at making the final, when they meet the winner of the match between the Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants. For now, Hardik Pandya needs to stay composed and prepare, again.

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Chepauk was its usual yellow for their beloved Thala (Image Credits: iplt20.com)

How about Dhoni? He was asked if this was his last match at Chepauk. Dhoni replied in true MSD style, keeping the suspense hanging. He talked of the IPL taking a toll on his body, especially his knees. The IPL began on March 31, 2023. Fifty-five days hence, Dhoni needs time to think what he wants to do, next. When he prepares for the IPL, he comes to the base camp in January. That’s like committing five months to his temple, the CSK.

Out there, cricket is a faith, a religion. Dhoni is the presiding deity. Whether he gives you the next “darshan” (audience) or not in Chennai is a question that can wait till December 2023. Knowing the CSK team management, they will not let go of Dhoni. If you do not know the former Indian captain, remember one thing. He listens to folks in general. Eventually, he does what his heart says. It still beats for CSK. That’s why he is THALA.

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