‘Definitely not’ ft. MS Dhoni

After being down and out and being called ‘dad’s army’ in 2020, this is some turnaround from the Chennai franchise. After beating Kolkata in the finals of Indian t20 league at Dubai, Chennai and their thala bagged their fourth trophy in an emphatic manner.

This is a fairytale of a story for the most. Many pundits and fans across the globe believed that Dhoni won’t be able to do anything and should retire before he hampers his reputation. Little did they know what MS and his boys could do!

Batting first, Chennai put up a huge total of 192 runs. Their stalwart, Faf Du Plessis scored 86 runs while Robin Uthappa and Moeen Ali played their part brilliantly. Chasing that mountain of a total, Kolkata started well but as usual their middle order failed massively and Kolkata were 27 runs short in the end and with that, history was made in UAE.

This has been the story of comebacks. No one gave Chennai a chance and many believed that they would finish last in the league as they hardly have young guns in their team who can win games on a consistent basis. Robin Uthappa, another name who’s inclusion was questioned by many cricketing fans. When Uthappa was traded from Rajasthan, people felt this move to be an unnecessary one. However, after the last two games people realized why Dhoni and the management went with Robin and not someone else. The Chennai franchise looks for experienced players who have the skill to do it. Uthappa very much has that and he proved in Qualifiers 1 and in the finals that he still very much belongs to the game.

Now, coming to the man himself! At the age of 40, MS Dhoni is still winning matches and winning trophies. With four Indian t20 league trophies in his kit, he is now the second most successful captain in the history of the league. Many doubted and many questioned but the boy from Ranchi believed in his and his team’s ability and did something that only he can do on a consistent basis.

Last year, after finishing in the lower bottom half of the league, Dhoni was asked about his team’s performance. All he said was that his team will bounce back and Chennai are known for that and so did he and his team.

Whether the lion finally walked towards the sunset or not, it’s not clear. Dhoni kept it hanging and said it depends on the board’s policy regarding the retention. However the lion roared saying, “I still haven’t left” before he went on to collect the prestigious trophy. The fans however don’t have to wait for a long time to see him again. The two-time World Champion will stay in UAE to guide the men in blue to win their second t20 World Series for the nation.