The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni is all set to fetch yet another record to his name when he enters the field on Wednesday (April 12) to lock horns with Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals (RR). The match will mark Dhoni’s 200th appearance as the captain of CSK, making him the first-ever player in the history of Indian Premier League (IPL) to achieve the landmark.
Notably, Dhoni had captained the Chennai-based franchise since the inaugural edition of the league except in the years 2016 and 2017, when the team was under suspension. He also led the team to four IPL triumphs in all these years. Although Dhoni stepped down from the CSK skipper’s post in 2022 and handed over the captaincy reigns to Ravindra Jadeja, he was reappointed as the leader by the management mid-season following the team’s poor run under Jadeja’s leadership.
Speaking about Dhoni’s rare feat ahead of the match, Jadeja told the reporters that he’s hopeful of winning the game against Rajasthan and is planning to dedicate the win to Dhoni as a gift on his milestone match.
“What can I say, he is a legend of Indian cricket. So, I would like to wish him good luck. Hopefully, in his 200th game, we will win in Chepauk and all the fans will be happy, so we continue the momentum. Hopefully, we win tomorrow and we give him a gift on his 200th (IPL) match as captain,” said Jadeja.
CSK are currently performing well in the league and sits at the fifth position of the IPL 2023 points table with two wins in three games they have played so far. Dhoni had also been in good touch for the Chennai-based team as he struck a few clean hits in the death overs of those matches. Meanwhile, Jadeja performed well in CSK’s previous game against Mumbai Indians (MI) as well. The all-rounder picked three wickets and was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’.