IPL 2022: MS Dhoni has been a talismanic leader for Chennai Super Kings.© BCCI/IPL
MS Dhoni became the first player to represent Chennai Super Kings in 200 matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they went down by 13 runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday. Dhoni has played for CSK since the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008, leading them to four titles including the last season. He has a total of 230 appearances in the league, having played for the erstwhile Rising Pune Supergiant franchise for the two years that CSK were banned from the league.
Dhoni has now captained the team as well in every year that it has participated in the league. While they began this season with Ravindra Jadeja at the helm, the all-rounder stepped down from the role midway through the season, handing the captaincy back to Dhoni.
The match, however, was not to be a memorable one for Dhoni and CSK.
After winning the toss, they put RCB in to bat, but Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli got off to a strong start in the Powerplay.
The two put on a 62-run stand before a flurry of wickets left them in trouble. However, Mahipal Lomror played a brilliant hand of 42 off 27 deliveries and Dinesh Karthik provided the flourish at the death with a 16-ball 25 to take them to 173/8.
CSK got off to a good start, but lost opener Ruturaj Gaikwad just after the Powerplay.
Devon Conway went on to hit his second consecutive half-century, but batters around him continued to fall.
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Moeen Ali hit a 27-ball 34, but he was outfoxed by a Harshal Patel slower delivery.
When MS Dhoni fell for two runs off Josh Hazlewood, the match was all but over for CSK and Harshal did not have much trouble defending 31 off the final over.
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