Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s brilliance the lone bright spot in CSK’s forgettable night against RCB

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.

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.

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 final overs that the whistles returned, as Dhoni rolled back the years with a defiant unbeaten 30, including a flurry of boundaries off Krunal Pandya in the last over.

While fans applauded Dhoni’s late fireworks, his former India teammate Virender Sehwag wasn’t as forgiving. The former opener questioned why Dhoni walked in at No. 9, behind the likes of Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, and Ravichandran Ashwin.

“He came out to bat early,” Sehwag joked on Cricbuzz, suggesting that Dhoni usually prefers to enter only in the last two overs.

Former India batter Manoj Tiwary added, “We were talking about this — that maybe he would walk out to bat at No. 10.”

Sehwag continued, “When he came in, 16 overs were already bowled. Usually, he comes in the 19th or 20th over, so he came out early, didn’t he? Either he came out early, or his batters lost wickets far too quickly.”

In the grand scheme of things, Dhoni’s earlier entry might not have changed the outcome. Chennai were never truly in the game, their top order dismantled by a disciplined Bengaluru attack.

Yet, for the fans, the evening wasn’t entirely without its moments — Dhoni’s stumping, his six-hitting cameo, and the sheer thrill of seeing him weave his magic once more. But in the end, it was RCB’s night, as they finally conquered Chepauk after 17 years.