Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will play his 200th IPL match on Monday as the three-time champions face off Rajasthan Royals in an all-important fixture in the bottom four.
MSD will become the first player ever to cross the 200 game milestone in IPL. The 39-year old had recently left behind teammate Suresh Raina in the tally for most IPL games when CSK faced Dubai in match 14 of IPL 2020.
Dhoni who has been part of the yellow army since the first season has scored 4,568 runs in his 199 games so far in IPL at a strike rate of 137.67. His best season with the bat was 2013 when he scored 461 runs. The same year the spot-fixing scandal had emerged following which CSK were banned from the IPL for two years. The former India captain played for Rising Pune Supergiants in those two years and also made it to the finals in 2017, losing to MI.
2018 marked the return of CSK in IPL lavishly as they went on to lift the trophy for the third time. Last season as well Chennai made it to the finals only to lose out to Mumbai Indians as the latter seconded them in the race to win the fourth IPL title.
A warrior isn't someone who always wins, he's someone who always fights. 🦁💛 #WhistlePodu #WhistleFromHome #Yellove #CSKvRR pic.twitter.com/hFYrtIQEE8
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) October 19, 2020
Dhoni also won the Champions League T20 as CSK captain in 2010 and 2014.
While Chennai has been the most consistent franchise in terms of the top four standings, they seem to miss out on the record this year as they have only three wins in nine games so far. Dhoni who announced his retirement from international cricket in August hasn’t been able to fire with the bat, scoring only 136 runs in nine games.
The Chennai fans will be desperately praying for their ‘Thala’ to fire. Maybe one last time in yellow this season.
Both CSK and RR are seventh and eighth respectively in the points table and desperately need two points to stay in contention of the top four.
Though Chennai has never failed to be in the top four of IPL in every season they have played, 2020 may just be the year their fans aren’t prepared for.