Chennai Super Kings have won their second game against Punjab Kings in IPL 2021 in Mumbai on Saturday which was also the 200th match for the team for the captain MS Dhoni. And, after the win, they celebrated the occasion.
In a video posted by CSK recently on social media, Dhoni can be seen cutting a cake on the great achievement and sharing it with his teammates as well, who applaud his feat. However, MS Dhoni shared the cake with head coach Stephen Fleming and long-time CSK teammate Suresh Raina among others. So far, Dhoni has played 206 matches in the IPL as well.
A treat to Thala on his 200th and icing on the cake for all of us! #Thala200 #WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/ErkDrHewdZ
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 17, 2021
However, his 200th match for CSK saw a convincing win as the three-time IPL title champions restricted Punjab Kings to 106 for 8, courtesy of Deepak Chahar’s 4 for 13. While chasing, CSK lost opener Ruturaj Gaikwad very cheaply but Faf du Plessis and Moeen Ali stitched 66 runs for the second wicket which laid the winning foundation.
CSK had started their IPL 14 season with a defeat in their first match to Delhi Capitals in Mumbai on April 10 and they will take on Rajasthan Royals in their next game on Monday as well. However, MS Dhoni, one of the most successful captains in IPL history, has won the title three times in 2010, 2011 and 2018 as well. But they had a rather forgettable season last year in the UAE and for the very first time, they failed to qualify for the playoffs in their history of the league.
READ HERE: Riyan Parag Enjoys The Win Dancing With The Team
Dhoni has so far scored 4632 runs from 206 matches which came at an average of 40.63 and a strike rate of 136.67 with 23 fifties in his name. He is the second-highest run-getter in the cash-rich league after Suresh Raina, who has 5430 runs from 195 matches so far as well.
After the win, MS Dhoni said: “Makes me feel very old (smiles, on being asked how he feels to have played 200 games). Been a very long journey. Different conditions, countries, a very interesting journey. I think 2011 was the last time we were happy with the Chennai wicket. After that however hard the groundsmen tried we were not happy with the wicket. Especially after relaying the ball doesn’t come on to the bat nicely. Difficult to play big shots.”
He continued: “Here we have a very good pitch. Movement off the seam, bounce and runs. Not swinging a lot, may be something to do with the ball. So when there’s no dew it seams for an extended period. Chahar is somebody who has developed as a death overs bowler too. If I’m looking to attack and there is movement I try to bowl him out because he gets more out of the pitch. As a bowling unit we have more resources. I was looking to attack, so bowled his four overs and it helps in becoming fit because to bowl 4 successive overs you need to be fit.”
