The Ekana Cricket Stadium is IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants’ designated home venue.
On Friday night it wasn’t.
A cursory glance at the stands and the never-ending sea of yellow jerseys would be easy to fool one into believing that Chennai Super Kings were playing at Chepauk, their designated home ground. But such his the popularity of this franchise MS Dhoni that anywhere CSK plays nowadays, it becomes their unofficial home venue.
Any lingering doubts over whom the fans had gathered to get a glimpse of were cleared when CSK lost their sixth wicket in Moeen Ali and the crowd went berserk after spotting a certain Dhoni gearing up as he walked down the stairs before entering the field of play to take his guard.
Dhoni has the aura to not just send the fans into a frenzy but also opponent bowlers it seems. However, in the words of LSG captain KL Rahul, the former CSK captain’s presence ‘intimidates’ and puts bowlers under pressure.
“MSD walks in and the bowlers feel intimidated,” Rahul said at the post-match presentation. “He walks in and bowlers were under pressure, the crowd was really loud, he has done it in the past.”
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Dhoni didn’t disappoint. He faced just nine deliveries but maximised them with three fours and two sixes in an unbeaten came of 28 to help CSK finish their innings on a high.
This was the second such blazing cameo in a row, third over of IPL 2024, from the bat of Dhoni who is set to turn 43 this July.
In their next game, Rahul-led LSG will again face CSK (April 23) but this time they will be in Chennai.
“It’s a different ball game playing in Chennai. Today it felt like playing a mini Chennai. I don’t think the crowd in Chennai will roar for us. I was telling boys in huddle to get used to the crowd and this is what we will get it again in a couple of days time, maybe louder. Looking forward to playing CSK again,” Rahul said.
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