Chennai Super Kings (CSK) took to social media to share a short video of MS Dhoni and his teammates celebrating coach Stephen Fleming's birthday. The former New Zealand captain turned 48 on April 1. The CSK players are currently in their bio-secure bubble, preparing for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021. IPL 2021 is set to begin on April 9. Taking to Twitter, CSK captioned the video as, "Bonds beyond boundaries! Siripu Enipu and a lot of #Yellove to you Coach @SPFleming7 . #WhistlePodu #SavourTheMoment".
Here is the video:
In the video, Stephen Fleming could be seen cutting the birthday cake, with the likes of Dhoni and Suresh Raina clapping applauding.
CSK had a poor campaign last season, finishing seventh in an eight-team table. Led by Dhoni, they won six matches and lost eight fixtures.
Ahead of IPL 2021, the franchise faced another setback, with Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood pulling out to spend time with his family. Although last season, Hazlewood couldn't cement a starting spot, and could only feature in three matches.
Defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) face Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL 2021 season opener on April 9. CSK will play their first match on April 10, when they face Delhi Capitals (DC).
Ahead of IPL 2021, CSK released Shane Watson (retired), Murali Vijay, Kedar Jadhav, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla and Monu Singh.
They bought Moeen Ali, K Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harishankar Reddy, C Hari Nishaanth and Bhagath Verma in the IPL 2021 auction.