Dubai: It was a day of contrasts for Chennai Super Kings fans — moments of unbridled joy, swiftly followed by heartbreak. At the centre of it all stood MS Dhoni, the 43-year-old veteran whose brilliance behind the stumps and with the bat provided the only silver lining in an otherwise dismal night for CSK. The five-time champions were left stunned at their fortress in Chepauk as Royal Challengers Bengaluru broke a 17-year jinx, handing Chennai a crushing 50-run defeat in Indian Premier League Season 18.
A flash of genius in a gloomy evening If there was one moment that lit up Chepauk, it was Dhoni’s breathtaking stumping of Phil Salt. The Englishman, facing a deceptive Noor Ahmad googly, was left floundering as Dhoni took just 0.16 seconds to whip off the bails, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
It was the second match in a row where Dhoni showcased his ageless reflexes, having stumped Suryakumar Yadav in similar fashion in the season opener. But as the euphoria faded, the reality of Chennai’s situation set in. Bengaluru kept their foot on the accelerator, posting 196 for seven in 20 overs — leaving CSK with an uphill battle.
A chase that never took off RCB’s bowlers, led by Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, dismantled CSK’s top order inside the powerplay, removing three key batters — including captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. The silence that followed was deafening. CSK never recovered, with their chase losing steam long before the finish line.
It was only in the fi.
