"Crowd Hoped I'd Give Him...": Rachin Ravindra On Denying MS Dhoni Chance To Finish Chase vs MI In IPL 2025
Chennai Super Kings star Rachin Ravindra admitted that the crowd wanted MS Dhoni to hit the winning runs against Mumbai Indians. But, it was him who smashed a six to take the team home.
After playing a match-winning knock against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Sunday, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) left-hand batter Rachin Ravindra said that it was 'special' for him to be sharing the crease with a legend of the game like MS Dhoni. Both Rachin and Dhoni were on the pitch when CSK were just 4 runs away from clinching their first win of the season. Though Dhoni faced two deliveries, he couldn't open his account. In the end, it was Rachin who hit the winning runs with a six.
Rachin Ravindra played a brilliant knock of 65 runs from 45 balls, which included four maximums and two boundaries. The Kiwi batter also maintained a healthy strike-rate of 144.44 despite the tricky nature of the match and batted until the last ball of the Chennai innings.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, the New Zealand batter was asked about his experience of sharing the crease with Dhoni.
“It's difficult to fully take it in when you're in the moment because you're so focused on winning the game for the team. But it's hard to ignore the excitement—hearing the crowd cheer for Dhoni, the whistles, and the noise. It's incredible to share the crease with him for the first time,” Rachin said in the presser.
“He's a legend of the game, and the people love him here, so it's definitely special. I'm sure the crowd hoped I'd give him the chance to finish the game, but it's all about getting the job done. Dhoni has finished so many games for CSK, and I'm sure there will be plenty more to come,” Rachin said.
Rachin also highlighted how honoured he was to join an elite list of opening batters who have played for the Super Kings over the years in IPL.
"A few days ago, I guess, and Flem's [head coach Stephen Fleming] quite good at those comms. It's always an honour to open for CSK knowing the history of it. And you look back at the heroes like the [Michael] Husseys, the [Shane] Watsons, the [Brendon] McCullums, the [Faf] du Plessis, the Rutus [Ruturaj Gaikwad]. I feel like I'm missing a few names there... [Matthew] Haydens, the Conways. It's certainly an honour. They have been guys who've done so well. I'm definitely grateful to be in this role. We'll take a game by game, and we know it's a long tournament. So, we'll just see what happens," He said.
Chennai Super Kings
Mumbai Indians
MS Dhoni