M. S. Dhoni may have joked about playing his in Chennai Super Kings’ yellows as a sign of him “getting old” but head coach Stephen Fleming the achievement is a testament of Dhoni’s commitment to the franchise.
REPORT - Six-wicket win for CSK
“He has been absolutely the heartbeat of CSK, there’s no doubt about it. Whether it’s performances, or guidance or leadership… you run out of things to say about him,” Fleming said on Friday, after CSK celebrated Dhoni’s milestone match with its maiden win in IPL 2021.
“His longevity also has to be mentioned and appreciated and to play 200 games and still have a desire to do well and perform well is a testament to his attitude firstly towards the game but to the franchise as well. I think the franchise has grown and M. S. has grown with it, so it’s a very good relationship and great fun.”
Shahrukh hungry for success
While Dhoni played his milestone match, M. Shahrukh Khan gave a glimpse of his talent with a knock of 47 that was the only silver lining to an otherwise lacklustre batting display by Punjab Kings. The Tamil Nadu youngster hopes to cash in on wealth of knowledge shared by some of the stalwarts of the game.
“Obviously I am new into the IPL. It’s different compared to domestic cricket. Getting to learn a lot of things, trying to improve my game one per cent every session I go in,” Shahrukh said.
“Really having good times with Wasim Jaffer (batting coach) and Andy Flower (assistant coach), having good conversations with them. They have been really helping me with my bat. Hopefully I’ll be able to do good.”