MS Dhoni smashed the ball into the crowd seven times — including to seal the winning runs — in a match that racked up a record number of Indian Premier League sixes as his Chennai Super Kings beat Royal Challengers Bangalore to go top of the points table.
Dhoni hit an unbeaten 34-ball 70 while opener Ambati Rayudu hit eight sixes in his 82 as CSK passed RCB’s 205 for eight with two balls to spare.
Dhoni hit all-rounder Corey Anderson over long on for six to claim the brilliant victory.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli’s RCB are in a slump with just two wins and the IPL season now half gone.
Kohli will need to study his tactics after his batsmen delivered — South Africans Quinton De Kock (53) and AB de Villiers (68) plundered 103 for the second wicket in under nine overs — but his bowlers failed.
Chasing a huge total in their 20 overs, CSK lost opener Shane Watson with just eight runs scored and then fell to 74-4 before a 101-run partnership between Rayudu and Dhoni turned the game.
Rayudu was dismissed in the 18th over but Dhoni saw his side home.
Here’s how cricketing world reacted to MS Dhoni’s masterclass:
https://twitter.com/david_willey/status/989211493236400128
But seriously. #Dhoni . 🙌🏻 #Thala #RCBvsCSK @StarSportsIndia
— Erin Holland (@erinvholland) April 25, 2018
MS DHONI!!! What an innings!
— Aaron Finch (@AaronFinch5) April 25, 2018
Incredible MS Dhoni! The master class continues with another outstanding chase @msdhoni. #CSKvRCB #VIVOIPL2018
— Anjum Chopra (@chopraanjum) April 25, 2018
MS Dhoni yet again redefining age, class and everything. It's so amazing to see him play this way. They call him 'Thala' for a reason and he showed us all who's the BOSS 😉 @ChennaiIPL on 🔥 at the Chinnasamy #RCBvCSK pic.twitter.com/rZhKVBgp3k
— Hemang Badani (@hemangkbadani) April 25, 2018
Thala 🙌🏾
— Carlos Brathwaite (@CRBrathwaite26) April 25, 2018
Vintage @msdhoni.. been lucky to witness a few knocks like this for @ChennaiIPL over the years, not just the striking ,but his ability to take a few players along, and making them be the best that they can be #Thala 👏🏼#Special #RCBvCSK
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) April 25, 2018
All I can say is wow!! What a game of cricket!!! @msdhoni and @RayuduAmbati we’re simply sensational after another @ABdeVilliers17 special. Great atmosphere at the Chinnaswamy Stadium @ChennaiIPL
— Mike Hussey (@mhussey393) April 25, 2018
Oh my God….please let me sleep🙏 why did you have to make @ChennaiIPL so awesome, @msdhoni the real universe boss and @RayuduAmbati Mr Iceman you have me so excited for the rest of this years @IPL I can’t sleep #WhistlePodu #unbelievable @StarSportsIndia
— Matthew Hayden AM (@HaydosTweets) April 25, 2018
@msdhoni = 🐐finisher!!!!!! WOW!!!! Simply incredible. #whistlepodu
— Sam Billings (@sambillings) April 25, 2018
Nothing can go wrong till @msdhoni is at the crease. Vintage stuff from captain cool!! An excellent innings from @RayuduAmbati to set things up for us. All in all a great win for @ChennaiIPL! Keep it boys! #RCBvCSK #IPL2018 pic.twitter.com/NBgyn1YI9J
— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) April 25, 2018
Kattula vettayadara singham pathiruppa kakkisattai potta singham pathiruppa manja sattai potta mahendra singham pathurukkiya ? Oongi adicha 110meter dhooram 6 da pakkaraya ? Ithu posukkara kootam konjam thalli nillu kanna #eduda vandiya poduda whistle @ChennaiIPL
— Imran Tahir (@ImranTahirSA) April 25, 2018
Kamaal hi karte rehte hain MS Dhoni. Brilliant again.
Well done @ChennaiIPL. #RCBvCSK— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 25, 2018
The King is still alive ….. Incredible @msdhoni ….. #IPL2018
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) April 25, 2018
Wow what a finish by CSK. Shows the value of experience at the death…
— Albie Morkel (@albiemorkel) April 25, 2018
Sensational from @ChennaiIPL once again. To take it till the end, win from any situation and finish it off in style, thy name is Dhoni. Really brilliant innings from Rayudu too. #RCBvCSK
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) April 25, 2018
How good was @msdhoni and @RayuduAmbati last night …wow.Seemed almost impossible to win that game .MS still the best finisher in the game
— Faf Du Plessis (@faf1307) April 26, 2018
That was outrageous. @ChennaiIPL #IPL #whistlepodu #Dhoni
— Isa Guha (@isaguha) April 25, 2018
https://twitter.com/danevn81/status/989209512535052289
Absolutely superb @msdhoni! This is why you're known as the best finisher! And a smashing innings from @RayuduAmbati! CSK all the way! #RCBvsCSK #WhistlePodu
— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) April 25, 2018
DHONI!!!! 😱😱😱😱😱 the guy is King!!! 🤴🏽 #CSK #WhistlePodu
— Kate Cross (@katecross16) April 25, 2018
Boy oh boy, last nights match didn't disappoint one bit. I don't know how #Dhoni does it & remain so cool under pressure. #CSK surely have to be the favourites of this year's IPL?! #whislepodu #RCBvCSK pic.twitter.com/hhpqvx0iZL
— Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) April 26, 2018
It was a pleasure to commentate on that tonight! MSD is a genius and people who would ever write someone like him off may be feeling very silly over the last few weeks…
— Jonny Bairstow (@jbairstow21) April 25, 2018
Mahi mahi ve… vintage dhoni no doubt abt that n Rayudu is playing like a dream. Rcb need some death bowlers n good all rounder who can support in batting lower down the order n get the team 3-4 overs consistently #ipl
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 25, 2018
The Dhoni shot I loved the best was that six in the 19th over off Siraj’s yorker over backward point. Destroyed him as a bowler and paved the way for the win.👏👏👏#Dhoni
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) April 25, 2018
U got to love Dhoni. What a knock. #IPL2018 #experience
— Ravi Bopara (@ravibopara) April 25, 2018
#RCBvCSK. It's MSD again finishing yet another win with a Six. Well played #CSK hard luck #RCB
— Vinod Kambli (@vinodkambli349) April 25, 2018
He writes his own scripts.@msdhoni “I Am Legend”#RCBvCSK @IPL #KentCricketLive #SelectDugout
— Alan Wilkins (@alanwilkins22) April 25, 2018
The legend grows. #MSDhoni
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 25, 2018
Oh my god! Dhoni is genius!!!! CSK beat RCB by knocking off 200 !! #IPL2018
— Mark Ramprakash (@MarkRamprakash) April 25, 2018
WHAT A GAME!! Best finisher in the game… DHONI 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 such a good competition! #CSKvRCB
— Ben Duckett (@BenDuckett1) April 25, 2018
Well past Midnight and a big match day today
But when it's #BESTvsBEST, its hard to resist
A terrific Game of Cricket and @msdhoni Bhai finishes off in style #IPl2018
— Manish Pandey (@im_manishpandey) April 25, 2018
If there’s ever a book on cricket, Dhoni must write the finishing chapter. Unbelievable. Take a bow 🙇♂️ #RCBvCSK #IPL
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) April 25, 2018
MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI. Wow. Just, wow. #RCBvCSK #WhistlePodu #VIVOIPL
— Sanjana Ganesan (@SanjanaGanesan) April 25, 2018
Unbelievable! Another match winning and sensational innings by @msdhoni along with @RayuduAmbati. A win to remember for long! Congratulations @ChennaiIPL. #ipl18 pic.twitter.com/H44Fv3HG3z
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh) April 25, 2018
Vintage @msdhoni.. been lucky to witness a few knocks like this for @ChennaiIPL over the years, not just the striking ,but his ability to take a few players along, and making them be the best that they can be #Thala 👏🏼#Special #RCBvCSK
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) April 25, 2018
U beauty @msdhoni u always mine captain maahi bhai legend 👏👏and @RayuduAmbati bhai top knock god bless you 👏👏😊🙏 @ChennaiIPL #VIVOIPL2018
— Rahul Sharma (@ImRahulSharma3) April 25, 2018
@msdhoni Paji. This is greatness at its heights. Bowing down to you. 🙏
What an amazing finish. Hats off!!! #RCBvCSK— Sandeep sharma (@sandeep25a) April 25, 2018
That was something different ! Something special !! @msdhoni Makes it look so easy ! Thala 😎🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/3m9sHuD866
— Mayank Agarwal (@mayankcricket) April 25, 2018
Wow!! What a game in #Bangalore !! There's one & only @msdhoni🙏 Period !!! #Championstuff #RCBvsCSK🙏
— Vijay Shankar (@vijayshankar260) April 25, 2018
It was a delight watching three amazing batting performances in a single match @ABdeVilliers17 for #rcb and #rayudu and the ever reliable @msdhoni. #RCBvCSK #VivoIPL18
— Pragyan Ojha (@pragyanojha) April 25, 2018
very difficult to find a better game reader than #MSDhoni can't emphasize enough the importance of Dhoni at the non-striker end #rcbvcsk
— Deep Dasgupta (@DeepDasgupta7) April 25, 2018
