IPL 2023: Chennai Super Kings was no match for Kolkata Knight Riders, as the former sailed to a 49-run win on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Eden Gardens in Kolkata turned yellow, whereas the Kolkata fans seemingly gave MS Dhoni a farewell.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni believes Eden Gardens will witness the familiar purple hue during former two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR's) next IPL game. Still, Sunday was about "his farewell", in what could be his last appearance on the hallowed turf. Having first stepped on this iconic ground as a teenager, who played Ranji Trophy for Bihar, Kolkata's favourite son-in-law has a manic fan base as one saw Eden Gardens filled with the yellow jersey, anticipating they might not see the remarkable man again.
"I will say thanks for the support. They came in big numbers. Most of these guys will come in a KKR jersey next time. They are trying to bid me farewell, so thanks a lot to the crowd," Dhoni kept it open-ended even as he took a picture with all groundsmen one last time.
Dhoni was all praise for his bowlers as they executed the plans well despite the boundary being short on one side. "Fast bowlers are doing their job, and so are spinners in the middle. The wicket was short on one side, so we needed to get early wickets and keep the pressure. They have plenty of power hitters, so we had to give respect to the opposition," he added.
CSK is hamstrung by injuries to first-team players like Ben Stokes and Deepak Chahar, but that's the least in Dhoni's mind. "I have a clear funda. If someone is injured, he can't do anything. You move on and motivate the youngsters to perform. We have been fortunate that all the guys coming in are performing," he continued.
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Ajinkya Rahane has a new-found rhythm in Twenty20 (T20) cricket after joining CSK, and Dhoni feels that he has been given complete freedom to operate however he wants to. The results are there for all to see. "We realise the potential of someone when we allow him to bat the way he bats. We give him freedom, give him the best position. In a team environment, someone has to sacrifice his slot to allow others to get more comfortable and allow the team to succeed," he concluded.
(With inputs from PTI)