IPL 2025

 ‘Why didn’t you give strike to Dhoni?’: Rachin Ravindra seals CSK’s victory, but fans wanted ‘Thala’ finish

hennai Super Kings' batters MS Dhoni and Rachin Ravindra after CSK won the IPL 2025 cricket match over Mumbai Indians, at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Sunday, March 23, 2025.

The MA Chidambaram Stadium erupted as the man in the iconic yellow jersey, with the number 7 on his back, walked out of the pavilion during Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) opening match against Mumbai Indians (MI) after Ravindra Jadeja’s dismissal in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Everyone expected the match to end in typical ‘thala’ fashion, for Dhoni to “finish it off in style”, however, that was not what happened and many of the CSK fans could not accept that.

 With just four runs needed off six balls, it was Rachin Ravindra who sealed the victory with a stunning six, however, fans were not entirely pleased.

 While it was a moment to cherish for young New Zealand batter he was at the receiving end of hate messages on social media.

 In the second last over, Dhoni defended two deliveries, leaving it to Ravindra, who finished the game with a six on the first ball of the final over.

 "Why didn’t you give Dhoni a strike?" many fans questioned on his recent post about joining the CSK camp.

 "Thala ko chakka kyun nahi maarne diya?  (Why didn’t you let Dhoni hit a six?)"  wrote another.

Following the match Rachin Ravindra opened up about experiencing the Dhoni fandom firsthand.

 "It's difficult to soak it in when you're in the moment because you're simply focused on winning the game for the team," Ravindra said after the match.

 "It's hard to ignore, though.  You hear Dhoni come out to the whistles and the noise.  It’s cool to share the crease with him for the first time.  He's a legend of the game, and people love him here, so it's special."

 "All the crowd would have been hoping that I gave him the strike and he finished it.  But it's just about getting the job done.  He has finished so many games for CSK, and I'm sure there's plenty more to come."

 Earlier in the day, the match between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) saw SRH come out on top against a determined RR after posting 286 runs, the second-highest total in IPL history.  RR fought hard till the end but was only able to score 242 runs while chasing.

MS Dhoni says 'there is a line' between him and Virat Kohli, refuses to reveal text message: 'He was never happy...'

MS Dhoni (L) and Virat Kohli are friends but...

The incomparable MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli played together for 11 years, but despite evolving as friends, there is 'a line' that continues to exist between them.  Yes, Dhoni, the former captain of India, has discussed his relationship with Kohli, revealing the particulars of their bond. Kohli debuted in 2008 when Dhoni was already a big name – he had led India to a T20 World Cup and a CB Series win in Australia.  Dhoni guided Kohli every step of the way as the youngster transformed into the best batter in the world, despite being hailed as India's "greatest captain" at the time. The two never lost their sense of camaraderie, even when Dhoni played his final game for India under Kohli in 2019.

In 2022, Kohli put out a random post on X – a picture with Dhoni during the 2016 T20 World Cup semifinal against Australia – referring to him as 'always my captain'.  Even in the IPL last year, Kohli and Dhoni gave each other hugs during the season opener between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which made for a touching image. But as much of a brotherhood there is, Dhoni says there's always been a junior-senior thing between the two.

"Between me and Virat, right from the start, he was someone who wanted to contribute.  He was never happy with a 40 or a 60; he wanted to score a 100 and be not out till the end.  So, that hunger was there right from the start.  His determination to succeed and the way he improved his batting are what kept him going. He became more fit and was always present on the field. So he was always like that.  He'd show up and ask, "What could I have done now?" I could have done this'", Dhoni said in his interview with JioHotstar.

"We had a lot of conversations, and that opened us up.  Again, I gave him an honest opinion.  Things like 'You could have done this, delayed it by an over'.  Or 'this was a risk that you had to take'.  Just putting in the point, and that's how the relationship grew.  It was more like a captain and a newcomer at that point in time, but once you keep interacting, you become friends.  But I still feel we have that line in the middle – about the senior and a junior – although still friends.  We have that companionship now that both of are not captains.  Which means that we can have more time between us before the toss."

MS Dhoni won't speak about his text message to Virat Kohli

For Kohli, the end of his captaincy tenure remains an ultra-sensitive topic.  After stepping down as India's T20I captain at the end of the 2021 T20 World Cup, Kohli was sacked from the post in ODIs, leading to a clash between him and the then-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.  A couple of months later, Kohli resigned as India's Test captain.  As much as the decision was his, it's tough to believe that being removed as ODI captain played a role in it.

Kohli later mentioned that only one person reached out to him when he stepped down from the post, and it was Dhoni.  For someone who isn't a mobile buff, the fact that Dhoni texted Kohli following one of the most important decisions of his career is something Virat will always cherish.  Dhoni refused to comment on what the text was about, explaining the rationale behind it.

 "I'll talk about the relationship, not the message.  I like to keep it the way it is because what it does is it lets other cricketers come to me and ask if they have anything in their mind.  "Say anything to him, and it will not come out, and it will not reach a third person," So that trust is very important; especially for cricketers who you haven't played with," added Dhoni.