An entire stadium of fans stood up and cheered as MS Dhoni walked on to the field with just four overs left to go in the Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings fixture at the ACA-VDCA Stadium here on Sunday. The applause would soon reach a thunderous crescendo as Dhoni — the man they had all flocked to see — unleashed a phenomenal rampage against the DC bowlers, scoring a fiery 37* off 16 balls, with three massive sixes.
Indian Premier League (IPL) returned to the city after a gap of almost five years, and the wait for the cricket fans proved to be worth it as they were treated to a vintage Dhoni hammering bowlers all over the park, albeit for a brief innings in a losing cause. Chants of ‘Dhoni, Dhoni!’ reverberated across the stadium.
“Dhoni did not bat in the last two matches, so we were hugely excited that he batted here. It was awesome watching him hit those mega sixes. It all felt so nostalgic — the trademark shots, the long hair and the flamboyant style. Though it lasted for a short while, we felt as if we were watching the Dhoni from 2005 who smashed 148 against Pakistan here,” said K. Kishore, who had come to the city from West Godavari district with his grandson to watch the match.
Social media went agog with anticipation as the fifth wicket fell, with all eyes peeled to the pavilion waiting to see who would walk out. The moment Dhoni took to the field, strapping and unstrapping his gloves in his trademark style, the handle #Thalaisback started trending on X. Soon, the tweets would turn into a deluge as Dhoni began his rampage.
Apart from Dhoni, the crowd was treated to a spectacular show of power hitting by David Warner, Prithvi Shaw and Rishabh Pant, the match marking an important return to form for the swashbuckling DC captain.
Long queues
People braved stifling weather conditions to line up at the stadium gates from late afternoon itself. Many visitors who were unable to get tickets had to contend with watching the proceedings on the giant screens set up outside the stadium.
The crowd was an even mix of yellow and blue, with many expressing their support for Pant who made his comeback to competitive cricket this season after a near-fatal accident back in December 2022. A large banner reading ‘You will never walk alone’, put up by Pant’s fans, caught the cameras’ attention.
“We came here to watch MSD and Rishabh. We have never forgotten the innings Dhoni played here in this stadium during the year 2005. We have come here to watch him and his innings,” said Vudimudi Navadheer, a B. Tech student who came for the match with his friends.
