'They had discussed this earlier' - CSK star Tushar Deshpande on Jadeja-Dhoni prank on Chennai crowd

The fans at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai were treated, as their revered man MS Dhoni walked out to bat on Monday. During the chase against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Dhoni surprised everyone as he promoted himself up the order and batted at number five. But there was a catch before the event took place in its usual way. 

As Chennai Super Kings (CSK) needed only three runs, fans expected their former captain to walk in. But Ravindra Jadeja strolled out of the dugout and fans were in anguish. As it turned out, the man himself walked in and played a mere three balls. CSK’s pacer, Tushar Deshpande has revealed that it was a pre-planned move by the 42-year-old to tease fans by letting Jadeja out of the dugout.

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“I mean they had discussed this earlier. MS Dhoni told Jaddu that you will go out first but I will be batting. I overheard that conversation,” Deshpande said in a video uploaded by Indian Premier League.

“That was just a glimpse of me I had shown. For those who have bought the tickets and come here at least we can give value for their money (laughs),” Jadeja added.

Here’s the video of Jadeja teasing fans as planned by Dhoni:

I was always ready for it: Ruturaj Gaikwad

The former India captain MS Dhoni stepped down from the leadership responsibilities at CSK ahead of IPL 2024. Ruturaj Gaikwad was named as the new skipper of the team. The transition was as smooth as it got and Gaikwad has shed light on the lead-up to the momentous occasion. For the unversed, the CSK opener has led the Indian team at the Asian Games 2023, where they clinched a gold medal.

Also Read: Bollywood star Ajay Devgn sings MS Dhoni praises during movie promotion

"To be honest, not really deep conversations. I feel it was in a very chilled state. Just one conversation I would say. Just we were practicing and he came and told me all this stuff. I remember in 2022 when he told me, 'Probably not next year, but after that, you might get a chance to lead, so be ready for it'. So, obviously, after that, I was always ready for it," Gaikwad shared during the post-match press conference.