IPL 2021: MS Dhoni lands in Chennai ahead of team's departure to UAE

Legendary cricketer MS Dhoni recently broke the internet by sporting a dashing and new look. Apart from that, he also participated in a charity football match and seemed in a good mood and spirit. And now he is again back in the news as he landed in Chennai, ahead of the second leg of the 14th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) which is set to be played in UAE from September 19.

‘Thala’ as he is fondly called by Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans, is all set to lead his beloved team for the remainder of the 31 games. CSK came back strongly after a dismal season in 2020, wherein they failed to reach the playoffs for the first time in the history of IPL. Before the 2021 season got suspended on May 4 due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in India, CSK were placed second in the points table.

Dhoni’s captaincy stood out and his usage of the foreign players Moeen Ali and Sam Curran was lauded by all. Ali was used at number three to maximize his power-hitting skills in the powerplay and Curran was played at times as a finisher ahead of Ravindra Jadeja and captain himself. And now with the second leg of IPL set to take place in UAE, MSD is back and ready to take his side to yet another title win.

In a video that is going viral on Twitter, the 40-year-old can be seen with his mask on, and few fans were present trying to get a glimpse of their favourite player. The video seemed to be taken at the Chennai airport.

Suresh Raina wants CSK to lift its fourth title for MS Dhoni

Apart from Dhoni, there is another player, who CSK fans love – Suresh Raina. He is fondly called ‘Chinna Thala by the fans and is with CSK since 2008. Barring a couple of seasons where he played for Gujrat Lions, the southpaw has scored over 5000 runs for CSK and is their rock in the batting lineup. Raina in a recent interview also spoke about how this time the franchise will win the title for its captain MS Dhoni.

“Hopefully, when we go to Dubai, we will have a camp and, we can again win it for him. I think the way we were playing this year, we were having some extra confidence from his captaincy and, he was enjoying each other’s success. He was giving freedom to all the players and, having Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, and Ruturaj in the side, we had the momentum. Hopefully, we can do it again this year for MS,” Raina said on Star Sports’ Cricket Connected.