As the hosts struggled with the bat early on in the first One-day International of the five-match series, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s return has had received a rousing welcome from Chennai’s heart-warming crowd against Australia on Sunday (September 17).
Interestingly, when the former skipper Dhoni walked out into the park, the passionate fans in the jam-packed stadium gave him a rousing welcome while chanting ‘Dhoni, Dhoni’, as the right-handed batsman was making a return after two-odd years at his second home-base in the ODIs.
The prominent figure in the form of gloveman Dhoni came to bat when India was reeling at 64 for four, in 16 overs to join Kedhar Jadhav, in a bid to take control and build-up the partnership.
Pertinently, the long-term relationship with widely-acclaimed Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Dhoni has been the primary fascination for the cricket fanatics particularly in the eastern part of the country where the die-hard fans religiously follow cricket.
Fully committed, the 36-year-old Dhoni, who is having an orthodox style of batting, last played in the ODIs on 22 October 2015 when the hosts thump the South Africa by 35 runs. In the-then fourth ODI of the limited-overs series at M. A Chidambaram Stadium, Dhoni, however, managed to score 15 off 16 deliveries.
Playing the pivotal role in a blue jersey, Dhoni had led India to the three ICC titles which further show how he led the team as a leader while avoiding the boasting of his achievements. The revered cricketer has been brilliant with the bat particularly in the 50-over format where he averages over 52 (52.20).
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The Ranchi sensation has been regarded as one of the best finishers in the limited-overs fold during his prime, as he still has left decent cricket in him which is further subjected to his fitness and personal choice.
Adopting Chennai as a second home for the gentleman’s game, Dhoni further led the Men in Yellow for two IPL titles and two Champions League triumphs, respectively since the idea of the professional league was floated in 2007-08.
Coming to a conclusion, Dhoni is scheduled to make a significant return for the eleventh edition as skipper after the outfit was defunct for last two years following the two-year ban over the spot-fixing scandal which surfaced in 2013. Dhoni-led Rising Pune Supergiant(s) in the ninth edition, before being inducted as a wicket-keeper batsman for the tenth edition which was eventually won by Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians.
Dhoni, who made his international debut way back in 2004 against Bangladesh, played 301 internationals in which he amassed 9,658 runs. He smashed ten hundred at 65 half-centuries in 259 innings.
Here’s the reaction from the Chennai crowd:
The King returns to Chennai #TeamIndia #IndvAus pic.twitter.com/p8sd5RtamH
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 17, 2017