MS Dhoni becomes oldest to hit landmark 250 sixes in IPL history

Former Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni is one name that is the heartbeat of the franchise. The cricketer has been accepted as a local and the love Chepauk fans shower for their favourite is second to none. In the ongoing Indian Premier League 2024, the tale hasn't been any different.

In the match against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Friday, May 10, Dhoni graced the 22-yards with his presence, as CSK were chasing 232-run target set by Shubman Gill's men. During his 11-ball stay at Motera, the stumper-batter launched three towering sixes into the crowd and a solitary boundary, scoring 26 runs in the process.

The second of three sixes he hit got the legendary cricketer to add yet another feather to his illustrious cap, as the 42-year-old Dhoni hit his 250th six in the league's history, becoming the oldest player to breach the elite milestone. He also became the third Indian to have 250 sixes to his name, after Rohit Sharma (276) and Virat Kohli (264).

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Dhoni achieved the milestone during the last over of the game, as CSK needed 52 runs to win, and veteran leg-spinner Rashid Khan had the ball in hand. The first delivery bowled by the leggie was taken on the full by Dhoni, launching the delivery beyond the cow corner fence via an elastically wristy shot.

Watch Dhoni's 250th IPL six here:

This was the Ranchi-born's 250th six, and the next delivery, which also went for a six, levelled the veteran cricketer alongside AB de Villiers, who has 251 sixes in the tournament's history, having played his last game back in 2021. Rashid, who had figures of 3-0-22-2 up until the last over, was smashed for sixteen runs by Thala getting whacked for a couple of sixes and a four by the defending champions' batter.

The former captain of both the Indian national team and the Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni is admired for his serene conduct on the cricket field and his dominant batting performances while with the bat in hand, etching his name in the prestigious chronicles of cricket and the Indian Premier League.

For MS Dhoni and his devoted fans, this IPL season marks a distinctive chapter, marked by his decision to relinquish the captaincy mantle after an illustrious 16-year tenure. However, Dhoni has continued to shine on the field, defying age and exhibiting his exceptional batting skills, tallying 136 runs in 10 innings at an outstanding strike rate of 226.66, which includes 11 fours and 12 sixes.

On a night where CSK suffered a 35-run defeat at the hands of the then-bottom-positioned Gujarat Titans, there was a significant milestone which none other than Dhoni got to during the very last phase of the match. It was the last over of the game and CSK had already faltered to unrecoverable lengths at that point, needing 52 to win in the last six to be bowled by Rashid Khan, who had picked up a couple of wickets while only conceding 22 in the three overs he had bowled up until then.

Although CSK felt short by 35 runs, it was Thala Dharisanam that left the crowd in awe of the senior batter's hitting prowess. This season, Dhoni has hit 136 runs, but the stat that leaves everyone stunned is the Jharkhand cricketer's strike-rate, which remains 226.67 at an unbelievable average of 68.00, even when his highest score is just 37* off 16 balls.