• Chennai Super Kings will face the winner of Qualifier 2 in the final of IPL 2023.

  • MS Dhoni expressed gratitude towards Chepauk groundsmen ahead of the summit clash.

IPL 2023 [WATCH]: MS Dhoni gives cash rewards and autographs to Chepauk groundstaff in a heartwarming gesture
MS Dhoni distributed cash rewards and signed autographs for Chepauk ground staff (Image Source: Twitter)

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) became the first team to seal their spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 final after defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 1 at the Chepauk stadium on  Thursday (May 25). Notably, it was CSK’s last match at the home ground in the ongoing tournament, and they will now fly to Ahmedabad for the ultimate championship battle on Sunday (May 28). However, CSK skipper MS Dhoni signed autographs and distributed cash rewards to the ground staff of the Chepauk stadium as a mark of respect before leaving for the summit clash.

It is worth mentioning that Dhoni’s heartwarming gesture towards the groundsmen is nothing new, as the former Indian captain has time and time again lauded the hard work of the ground workers and is often seen greeting them humbly.

Coming back to the award distribution ceremony in Chennai, Dhoni not just thanked and signed autographs for the Chepauk groundkeepers but had an insightful discussion with them as well. The members of the ground staff were also thrilled to be personally greeted by the CSK legend and walked up to him with a broad smiles to receive rewards. The official Twitter handle of CSK released the video of the same.

Here’s the video:

It is noteworthy that IPL returned to Chennai after a long gap of three years, and CSK played eight games overall at the venue this season. While seven matches that the Chennai-based franchise played at the Chepauk stadium were league-stage games, one was a playoff clash against GT. Among those eight encounters, Chennai emerged victorious in five, including Qualifier 1 against the Gujarat-based team.

CSK will now be flying to Ahmedabad and will face the winner of Qualifier 2 between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat for the championship at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The four-time champions shall play their record 10th final in the league and will be eying to make the count five this Sunday.

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About the Author:
VISHWANATH HARIHARAN
Vishwanath Hariharan is Content Strategist at CricketTimes.com. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. From breaking news stories to in-depth features and opinion pieces, he has covered a wide range of topics. Vishwanath is very fond of watching cricket. Like many others, he too grew up watching, playing, and imitating his favourite players of the game. MS Dhoni is like a demigod to him. You can connect with him at vishwanath.hariharan@crickettimes.com and follow him on Twitter & Linkedin.