MS Dhoni played a vintage innings for Chennai Super Kings against Lucknow Super Giants in an IPL 2025 match in Lucknow on Monday. The CSK skipper struck 26* off 11 balls with the help of four fours and one six. The cameo helped CSK chase down 167-run target in 19.3 overs. He also produced a great run out in the first innings. Later, MS Dhoni was seen limping after CSK won the match by five wickets. The visuals had internet concerned.

pic.twitter.com/QQA1gRGOC6

— CSK Korner™ (@dhonsim140024) April 15, 2025

MS Dhoni limping a little after the match yesterday.

– Hope it’s nothing serious and he recovers quickly. pic.twitter.com/g5J6mX5heC

— Akaran.A (@Akaran_1) April 15, 2025

Ruled Out of the next match? MS Dhoni was limping after the CSK vs LSG match on Tuesday, if he too does not play next match, it will be a big blow for CSK in IPL 2025#IPL2025

— LePakad7🇮🇳🇮🇹 (@AreBabaRe2) April 15, 2025

Former India allrounder Sanjay Bangar reflected on MS Dhoni’s physical condition and his finishing ability after Chennai Super Kings snapped a five-match winless streak and said the wicketkeeper, despite not being in his best physical shape, pushed through and “found the strength to come out and perform.”

After Rachin Ravindra and debutant Shaik Rashid got CSK off to a superb start in the chase of 167, CSK’s momentum was snatched back with Lucknow Super Giants’ spinners growing into the game. But Dhoni provided a much-needed blitz with his quickfire 26 not out off just 11 balls, along with Shivam Dube‘s 37-ball 43 not out, to pull the game back in CSK’s favour as the visitors secured the five-wicket victory over LSG in Lucknow.

“MS Dhoni was not in his best physical shape. Towards the end of the innings, we saw him limping a little while collecting balls down the leg side. But he still pushed through and found the strength to come out and perform the way he did. Between the wickets, he wasn’t running fluently—he was struggling. But, as always, he kept his cool and stitched together that partnership.

“The closer it gets, the more difficult it becomes, the chances of (the opposition) making a mistake increase. That’s where MS Dhoni is so good—he sneaks it in towards the very end and finished the match brilliantly, snatching victory from the grasp of the Lucknow Super Giants,” Bangar said on JioHotstar.

Former India pacer Varun Aaron also weighed in on the significance of Dhoni’s presence at the crease, saying, “Having MS Dhoni at the crease is priceless, especially towards the end. I think today was one of those nights where the top order—especially the first two—gave him a reasonable target to achieve.”

“In the previous matches, the kind of targets the lower order was getting were outrageous—needing 14 -15 runs per over—which doesn’t happen every day. But today, it was a very achievable target. And when you give MS Dhoni that, he’s going to get there more often than not.

“The Lucknow Super Giants bowlers bowled one-dimensionally towards the death—only went for wide lines, didn’t try a bouncer, and didn’t try a good slow ball outside the off stump. They could have been better. Not giving Ravi Bishnoi that over is going to hurt them,” he added.