On Sunday night, at around eleven p.m., Vizag came to life. The Delhi Capitals were headed for their first victory under “Hosts,” but for the roughly 30,000 spectators in attendance, the outcome had become inconsequential.
For the first time since the championship game of the previous year, MS Dhoni strode out to bat in the middle. He hit his first ball for four through square leg and his third through extra cover, sending the noise levels skyrocketing.
They were about to blow the roof off when he hit Khaleel Ahmed for an inside-out six in the following over. In order to win in the last two overs of the IPL, Chennai Super Kings still needed to score 46 off of 12, which was one more than any other team had ever made.
It was left to Mukesh Kumar to bowl a crucial over. Up until then, his numbers were 2-0-16-3. A great over there would have contributed to the game’s conclusion. And he did so by bowling a string of superb yorker-length deliveries that Ravindra Jadeja and Dhoni were unable to get underneath.
Super Kings needed to score 41 off six as the over was set at 5.
The crowd did not need to disperse for that reason. Dhoni was not playing. They desired for him to turn back time. He successfully defeated Anrich Nortje, scoring two fours and two sixes. Super Kings lost by 20 runs, but it was difficult to determine whether the yellow-clad supporters were happy with the outcome or not. Dhoni finished 37 not out of 16.
It was Dhoni’s effect. But the realization that the game was over came when he scythed a high full toss for six to seal the victory for the Capitals.
