‘Feels good to have survived for so long’ – MS Dhoni on his 200th game as CSK captain

The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai welcomed their legendary skipper MS Dhoni for the 200^th time as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lock horns with Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals in Match 17 of the IPL 2023 on April 12. 

The match between the two sides will be a special one for numerous reasons but the fact that CSK skipper Dhoni leads the franchise for the 200^th time tops it all. Notably, he has captained on 213 occasions in the top-tier league (for CSK and Rising Pune Supergiant combined), and has won 125 matches and lost 87 times with one no result.

Prior to the match, the 41-year-old keeper-batter was handed a token of appreciation in honour of leading the side, the most number of times in the competition, by the CSK management. In his landmark game, Dhoni expressed his delight on playing at their fortress in his 200^th match as CSK captain in the IPL. 

“Feels good (to lead for 200th time). The crowd was fantastic. The new stadium is like playing in Switzerland. We have seen cricket change. Feels good to have survived for so long and it's a format we have to keep evolving. Important to get rid of mistakes in the later stages,” told Dhoni during the toss.

Old folks lock horns in high-octane clash

For the uninitiated, star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja started off as a Rajasthan Royals player in his formative years and has flourished in the colours of the CSK outfit. Likewise, star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin relished tremendous success during his stint with CSK and now returns to the Chepauk, donning the Pink jersey of the Royals.

As former teammates square off in Chennai, an exciting clash is surely on the cards. Dhoni won the toss and has elected to field first. Rajasthan openers, Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal, have proven to be a potent opening combo and will look to lay a solid foundation in the first innings.