MS Dhoni present Pune groundsmen with a cheque worth INR 20,000

Chennai Super Kings enjoyed a successful outing in IPL 2018 after returning to the fray following a hiatus of two years. MS Dhoni once again marshalled his troops impeccably as CSK became the only side to make it to the playoffs in every edition they have played so far. However, midway through the season the players and fans of the yellow army received a shock when they were forced to shift base from Chennai to Pune owing to protests over the Cauvery water issue.

While cricket experts had felt it would be a tough task for the MS Dhoni-led side to acclimatize in Pune conditions, the groundsmen at the MCA Stadium did a brilliant job to make them feel at home. On Sunday (May 20), CSK played their last match at the MCA Stadium and defeated Kings XI Punjab by 5 wickets. They finished the league stage with 18 points from 14 games.

After the win against KXIP, CSK skipper Dhoni presented the Pune groundsmen with a cheque worth INR 20,000. Moreover, they also received a framed photo from the legendary Chennai captain – clicked earlier in the season.

Ahead of the clash between CSK and KXIP, a source told CricketNext: “Dhoni will meet the groundsmen at the end of the game tonight and gift them Rs 20,000 each and also give them a photo with the CSK skipper that has been framed for each and every groundsmen. They did a great job and their effort needs to be duly rewarded.”

The parting gesture for the #PuneGroundStaff for all the #yellove support at the #DenAwayFromDen . #WhistlePodu #yellove #CSKvKXIP 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/g5NepImno7

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 20, 2018

CSK’s track record in Pune

In their adopted home, CSK won 5 out of their 6 games and qualified for the playoffs as the second team on the points table. CSK played their first game against the Rajasthan Royals and won the contest by 64 runs. Chennai lost their next match against the Mumbai Indians by 8 wickets and then their winning juggernaut started in Pune.

The southpaws first beat Delhi Daredevils by 13 runs and then followed it up with 6 wickets and 8 wickets victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad respectively.

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