Former skipper MS Dhoni visited the Indian dressing room earlier and interacted with players ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand on Friday.
It's been over two years since Mahendra Singh Dhoni retired from international cricket, but the former Indian skipper still gets the loudest cheer on a cricketing field.
Fans of the 2011 World Cup-winner captain was present at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi to witness India's first T20I against New Zealand. After a clean sweep of the ODI series against the Kiwis, India will hope to continue their good form in the shortest format.
Man of Crazes, Man of MASSES. 😎 pic.twitter.com/2HCPohubdr
— DHONI Empire™ (@TheDhoniEmpire)Ahead of Friday's game, Dhoni visited the India dressing room and interacted with the players. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) icon, who hails from the city, first interacted with T20 skipper Hardik Pandya and then gave tips to young wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan on Thursday.
In a short video posted by the BCCI on Thursday, titled, "Look who came visiting at training today in Ranchi - the great @msdhoni", the former captain is also seen interacting with opener Shubman Gill, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal as well as the support staff.
Look who came visiting at training today in Ranchi - the great ! 😊 | pic.twitter.com/antqqYisOh
— BCCI (@BCCI)"Mahi in the house," said one fan on Twitter as the user shared a video of Dhoni waving to his fans during India vs New Zealand T20I clash in Ranchi.
Another fan noted, "Captain Cool is here in Ranchi," while another supporter stated, "Not playing, still commanding the loudest cheers from the crowd, he towers above the rest as a true LEGEND in the world of Cricket."
A fourth Dhoni fan added, "Biggest superstar of cricket."
Here's a look at how fans reacted to Dhoni's presence at the JSCA stadium in Ranchi:
Ranchi ka Raj Kumar 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/i6dl2rFBcG
— Vikash Verma (@VikashV05031684)The vintage Dhoni-Dhoni chant in Ranchi 😍 pic.twitter.com/Adv2Pt3WK0
— Wisden India (@WisdenIndia)His Gesture 💛❣️ pic.twitter.com/IwdcRJbPfp
— MR Conqueror (@VASANTH652K)The MS Dhoni pavilion in Ranchi. pic.twitter.com/cwWidwT3Ot
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra)The DHONI - DHONI chants at Ranchi show his Popularity and Relevance even 2 years after his Retirement.
Man of MASSES 🙏🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/LghABG8ylB
Loudest cheer in Ranchi reserved for one man. 🥳💛 pic.twitter.com/dCaKkME12U
— WhistlePodu Army ® - CSK Fan Club (@CSKFansOfficial)Dhoni waves to Crowd during the T20I match in Ranchi. 👋❤️ pic.twitter.com/mUrBUBjQ1J
— DHONIsm™ ❤️ (@DHONIism)Dhoni is here in Ranchi. pic.twitter.com/fllABkwquv
— Bijoy Biswas (@BijoyBi22309966)