Probably playing his last season in the Indian Premier League (IPL), MS Dhoni did a special lap of honour at the home ground in Chepauk, thanking fans for all the support they have given him and the team over the years. Though the match against Kolkata Knight Riders ended in a defeat for Chennai Super Kings, Dhoni had a smile on his face as he went around the ground, acknowledging fans for their support and shaking hands with the security officials, probably giving a big hint about what the future holds for him. Though CSK will return to Chepauk if they qualify for the playoffs, progression to that stage of the season isn't a guarantee as yet.
Dhoni was even seen holding a racquet in one hand, was also seen hitting some balls into the crowd before tossing a few jerseys in that direction. Such acts certainly hint that this might be it for him as a player in the CSK jersey.
The policemen at the venue also had their moments as they shook hands with Dhoni before getting his autographs.
Even as the spectators went berserk at seeing their favourite player leading their team out after the game, batting great Sunil Gavaskar ran up to the two-time World Cup-winning captain for an autograph.
The game, however, did not turn out the way CSK would have liked as they lost by six wickets.
Dhoni said the conditions, including dew, had a big impact on the match.
"The dew made a big difference in the second innings. We can't really blame any of our bowlers. Just that the conditions had a big impact on the game," Dhoni, who waved to the crowd, said at the post-match presentation.
"When we bowled the first ball in the second innings, we knew we needed 180. But there was no way we could have got 180 on that pitch." Batting first after winning the toss, CSK could only make 144 for six. Shivam Dube top-scored with an unbeaten 48 off 34 balls at the Chepauk, while there were two wickets apiece for KKR spinners Sunil Narine (2/15) and Varun Chakravarthy (2/36).
Chasing 145 for victory, KKR faced some early hiccups before reaching the target in 18.3 overs with Rinku Singh and skipper Nitish Rana making 54 and unbeaten 57 respectively.
With PTI inputs