NEW DELHI: Is everything alright with Mahendra Singh Dhoni? Are Chennai Super Kings staring at yet another setback? After guiding CSK to a five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants, MS Dhoni was seen limping as he exited the stadium in Lucknow. While the legendary cricketer didn’t appear to be in visible pain, the limp was noticeable—raising concerns among fans and the franchise alike.
Dhoni’s blistering 26 off just 11 deliveries played a pivotal role in snapping CSK’s four-match losing streak, which included three defeats at their fortress Chepauk. Chasing a target of 167, CSK crossed the finish line with three balls to spare, thanks to a much-improved performance with the bat.
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However, CSK will be hoping Dhoni’s apparent discomfort isn’t linked to a serious issue, as the five-time IPL champions are already languishing at the bottom of the IPL 2025 points table—below even Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Dhoni resumed captaincy duties after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the season with an elbow fracture. His return to the helm didn’t begin as hoped, with CSK suffering an eight-wicket loss to Kolkata Knight Riders in his first game back in charge.
But the veteran quickly bounced back, leading from the front as CSK defeated LSG to end their five-game skid.
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Following the win, Dhoni made a strong statement on the quality of pitches at Chepauk, urging curators to prepare better surfaces to instill confidence in the batters.
“One of the reasons could be that the Chennai wicket is slightly on the slower side. When we have played away from home, the batting unit has done slightly better,” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation.
“Maybe we need to play on wickets that are slightly better so that it’ll give the batters confidence to play their shots. You don’t want to play timid cricket,” added the 43-year-old, who was named Player of the Match—his first such award in six years.
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