Ravi Shastri gives MS Dhoni the ultimate tag ahead of IPL final

Ravi Shastri has been a long admirer of the former Indian captain MS Dhoni. Who could ever forget the last six that Dhoni hit at the Wankhede Stadium to hand India the World Cup on home soil against a determined Sri Lankan side? If not for Dhoni, it might have been just a tad more difficult for India to chase down the total after the good start from Gautam Gambhir.

Fast-forward into the Indian Premier League, and Dhoni is still the boss of the last overs despite heavy competition from the likes of Kieron Pollard and the Pandya brothers in the league. Dhoni is still the powerhouse that many a team wish for late in the innings, despite his form dipping alongside his strike rate this season.

IPL finals and Dhoni

Dhoni has led the Chennai Super Kings to two-IPL victories with a Champions League T20 title. Alongside the two IPL trophies, Dhoni has also lost the competition as many as four times after reaching the finals first against Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural edition, twice at the hands of Mumbai Indians and once against Kolkata Knight Riders.

The first time that the former Rising Pune Supergiant captain reached the final was in the first edition of the tournament, facing Shane Warne’s RR. A narrow loss made the trophy evade the marvellous captain. However, it was soon enough in the third season of the IPL that Dhoni took home an IPL trophy after failing at it twice in two years.

The 2010 victory against Mumbai Indians all but sealed Chennai Super Kings’ in the history of the competition. From there it was no looking back for the side as they cruised to another IPL final victory against the Royal Challengers Bangalore who possessed the best of batting line-ups.

Since joining the Supergiant, Dhoni failed to reach the playoff stage for the first time in his career last year, before redeeming himself this year in the playoffs against the Mumbai Indians scoring a match-winning knock to reach a record seventh IPL final in the ten seasons of the IPL.

Ravi Shastri emphasised on the fact that Dhoni is playing his 7th IPL final and called him the ‘ultimate IPL Boss’