The sixteenth season of the Indian Premier League began with a bang on March 31 when Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings met at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The defending champions began their championship defense with a win, defeating CSK by five wickets in the first match. There were reports prior to the tournament’s opening encounter that Chennai captain MS Dhoni would miss the match owing to a knee ailment.
But, much to the joy of his admirers, “Captain Cool” appeared for the inaugural match and was accorded a hero’s welcome during the opening ceremony. On the 19th over of the second inning, the 41-year-old appeared uneasy as he attempted to stop a Deepak Chahar delivery that was heading down the leg side.
Following CSK’s defeat, head coach Stephen Fleming disclosed that Dhoni had no knee concerns in the first match but rather cramps throughout Gujarat’s chase.
“He was nursing a painful knee during the month of preseason, but today (Friday) it was cramping, not the knee,” Stephen Fleming stated at the press conference following the game.
The CSK captain capped off the innings with a stunning 14* off seven balls. Throughout his innings, he hit one four and one six, sending the entire stadium into a frenzy. Chennai was able to register a total of 178/7 in their allotted 20 overs due to MS Dhoni innings.
MS Dhoni will contribute even with the bat. Stephen Fleming
Fleming, commenting on Dhoni’s fitness, stated that the wicketkeeper-batsman will not be as quick as he was 15 years ago, but he is still a significant asset to the team and a legend of the sport.
“He will not be as swift and nimble as he was 15 years ago, but he is still a wonderful leader of the team and will still contribute with the bat. He recognizes his limitations and is an important player to have on the field. He is a legend,” he continued.
Shubman Gill played a magnificent innings of 63 runs off 36 balls as the Gujarat Titans chased the goal of 179 in 19.2 overs. On his IPL debut, 20-year-old Rajvardhan Hangargekar excelled for CSK, taking 3/36 in four overs.
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