'Thala meets Thala' at Chepauk: Ajith Kumar cheers MS Dhoni as CSK stumble at Chepauk

Dubai: For Chennai Super Kings fans, there’s only one Thala — Mahendra Singh Dhoni. But on Friday night at Chepauk, fans were treated to a double delight as another Thala — Tamil star Ajith Kumar — turned up in the stands to cheer on the cricketing icon.

Loud cheers rent the air when the camera zoomed in on the actor, who was spotted enjoying the match with his wife Shalini and their two children. Ajith acknowledged the crowd’s love with a thumbs-up, sending the stadium into a frenzy.

The actor’s presence came as a pleasant surprise, as Ajith is known to keep a low profile and seldom appears in public. That made Friday’s appearance all the more special — especially since it came just a day after he and Shalini celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

Shalini marked the occasion by posting a midnight video on Instagram, showing the couple cutting a cake and feeding each other, with Tina Turner’s ‘The Best’ playing in the background — a nod to a love story fans have followed for decades.

CSK fall short despite star power

The celebrity buzz couldn’t lift CSK to victory. The home team suffered a five-wicket defeat, handing Hyderabad their first-ever win at the Chennai fortress. With just two wins from nine games, the loss has virtually ended CSK’s playoff hopes.

The star-studded night also saw actor Sivakarthikeyan, another known Dhoni fan, attending the match with his family, while Shruti Haasan was among the other celebrities spotted soaking in the electric atmosphere at Chepauk.

Dhoni hits 400 in style

The match was still memorable for one massive reason — MS Dhoni’s 400th T20 appearance. At 43, Dhoni became one of the few players to reach the milestone, adding another chapter to an already legendary career.

While he’s no longer at his peak with the bat, Dhoni remains razor-sharp behind the stumps. He holds the record for most stumpings in T20s (34), and has amassed 7,566 runs at a strike rate of 135.90 over a career that includes a 2007 T20 World Cup title and five IPL trophies with CSK.

This season, he’s taken over captaincy duties again after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out with an elbow fracture.

Harshal Patel steals the show

The night, however, belonged to Harshal Patel. The SRH pacer delivered a game-turning spell of 4/28, dismissing Sam Curran, Dewald Brevis, Noor Ahmad, and Dhoni to restrict CSK to 154 in 19.5 overs.

Brevis impressed with 42 on debut, while Ayush Mhatre chipped in with 30, but it wasn’t enough.

SRH hold their nerve in chase

Chasing 155, Sunrisers stumbled to 106/5 in the 14th over. But Ishan Kishan (44 off 34) and Kamindu Mendis (32* off 22) guided them home with eight balls to spare. Noor Ahmad was CSK’s top bowler with 2/42.

The win helped SRH jump to eighth on the table with six points from nine games, while CSK remain bottom with just four.

Ajith’s next stop: Europe’s race tracks

After his Chepauk cameo, Ajith Kumar is expected to return to Europe, where he continues to make waves in international car racing. His team, Ajith Kumar Racing, has already made podium finishes this year — third at the Dubai Autodrome in January, third at Italy’s Mugello Circuit in March, and second at the Creventic Endurance Race at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.