IPL 2024: MS Dhoni's hilarious exchange with Dwayne Bravo takes centre stage in Chennai

Former skipper of the Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni, playing in his seventeenth edition of the IPL, didn't have any role to play with the bat, with his side winning both their games against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Gujarat Titans quite comprehensively, by respective margins of six wickets and 63 runs, respectively.

However, even though the cricketing icon has only played a part in the marquee tournament as a wicketkeeper so far, the fixation and craze revolving him hasn't diminished one iota, with those at the stadium going absolutely bonkers every time the five-time IPL-winning captain appeared on the big screens attached beyond the boundary ropes. He grabbed a phenomenally athletic catch to get Vijay Shankar dismissed off the bowling of Daryl Mitchell, which left every viewer amazed at his mobility considering his age.

In a mirthful moment which took place between MS Dhoni and former CSK player and current bowling coach Dwayne Bravo during the post-match ritual of shaking hands with the opposition's players as well as their own teammates, after Bravo congratulated and hugged CSK's skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad for the emphatic victory, Dhoni was next in line. However, Dhoni took him by surprise by impulsively trying to attack Bravo on his lower abdomen, which left Bravo in splits.

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Sameer Rizvi credits MS Dhoni for debut IPL knock

20-year-old Sameer Rizvi, the destructive middle-order batter from Uttar Pradesh, made his IPL debut against GT after he was named in the playing XI at the toss. Coming into bat halfway through the 19th over of the innings, he thumped the seasoned wrist-spinner, Rashid Khan, for a six over deep square-leg with an immaculate sweep on his first ball in the IPL. Three balls later, he came down the ground to mistime it for six once again, demonstrating the sheer raw power he possesses.

Rizvi credited Dhoni for his swift and impactful debut knock of 14(6) in the IPL, mentioning that the talismanic former Indian skipper encouraged him to play his natural game during his cameo against Gujarat Giants. As per Rizvi, Dhoni told him to be his authentic self while with the bat and encouraged him to not go out with any sort of nerves, directing him to play according to the demands of the situation.

"Bhaiya (Dhoni) told me to play how I generally play since it is all about the actual gameplay. He said, 'There is nothing different. Skills remain the same, and it's all just about mindset. Never take any pressure or be nervous, and play as per the situation'," Rizvi said in a video published on the official website of the IPL.

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