MS Dhoni received a souvenir for their first game there. (Photo credit: Sportzpics)
CSK Captain MS Dhoni was congratulated by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla at Ekana Stadium
Whichever stadium MS Dhoni went to during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, the crowd welcomed him wholeheartedly. All Chennai Super Kings (CSK) away venues were sold out on matchdays. And when they arrived in Lucknow for match no. On the 45th, a reception was expected at the Ekana stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
The weather conditions did not look favorable for the game as it has been raining for the past few days in different parts of North India including Lucknow. Still, fans arrived in droves to see their favorite cricketer on the pitch, perhaps for one last time in Lucknow.
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Before the start of the game, Dhoni was congratulated by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla at Ekana Stadium. The CSK captain received a special award, welcoming the former India captain to the site.
“BCCI Vice Chairman Mr. Rajeev Shukla congratulates @msdhoni with special award at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow,” reads the caption of the video, shared by IPL.
During the draw, Dhoni sent social media into a frenzy with a cryptic response when asked about his future in the IPL. Commentator Danny Morrison cleverly posed the question to the CSK skipper about how he appreciates the overwhelming support at every venue in his final season.
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“Obviously this wonderful swansong tour, your last. How are you enjoying it?” Morrison asked.
“You decided it was my last,” replied a smiling Dhoni.
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But to everyone’s disappointment, the match was canceled due to rain. After winning the coin toss, CSK opted to go first and held the LSG batters at bay with the scintillating bowling efforts before Ayush Badoni’s unbeaten 59 of 22 injected momentum into the slog overs as Lucknow scored 125/7 in 19.2 overs.
Starting with the bat, LSG got off to a dismal start as spinners CSK tore through Lucknow’s top order and the hosts mustered 31 runs in the Powerplay for the loss of three wickets.
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