MS Dhoni made a grand return as captain of Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 11, and the Chepauk crowd erupted in sheer joy and nostalgia. As Dhoni walked out for the toss, accompanied by KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane, the stadium was electric — and Ravi Shastri, hosting the toss, only added to the atmosphere.
In classic Shastri style, he introduced Dhoni as the “Thala of Chennai”, then cheekily added that the 43-year-old was “uncapped at the moment.” The reference drew a big grin from Dhoni and thunderous cheers from the crowd.
The term "uncapped" had special significance this season. Dhoni was retained by CSK for ₹4 crore under the BCCI's revived ‘uncapped player’ retention rule, which applies to players who haven’t represented India in the last five years. A subtle but iconic moment — Shastri’s remark lit up social media almost instantly.
🟨 Toss Drama and CSK’s Situation
While Rahane won the toss and chose to bowl first, Dhoni remained unfazed:
“We wanted to bat anyway,” he shrugged, composed as ever.
But Dhoni did acknowledge CSK’s rough start to the season — just one win from their first five matches — and emphasized the need to go back to basics.
💬 Dhoni at the Toss – Key Quotes
"It is important to move ahead. We have lost too many games so far… We want to build partnerships and, with the ball, try and bowl a few dot balls to put pressure on the batters. That’s been the difference."
On CSK's powerplay struggles:
"We want to do well in both departments. We have batters who play authentic shots… We’re not a side that hits a lot of sixes — we focus on fours, on proper cricketing shots. We need to stick to our strength."
🔁 CSK’s Lineup Changes
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Rahul Tripathi replaced the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad (out due to a fractured elbow).
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Anshul Kamboj, the ₹3.4 crore pacer from Haryana, made his CSK debut, replacing Mukesh Choudhary.
