Watch: MS Dhoni thwacks Patel for 23 in the last over

Rising Pune Supergiants and King XI Punjab locked horns in Vishakapatnam in a dead-rubber. The only significance of the match was that it would be deciding the wooden-spoon holders of the season.

Murali Vijay and Gurkeerat Singh Mann scored half-centuries to propel their team to the total of 172 runs. Ravichandran Ashwin was the wrecker-in-chief as he returned with figures of 4/34, his personal best of this IPL career.

The Supergiants started their inning cautiously reaching 80 runs at the end of 12 overs. They still needed 96 runs from the final 8 overs with 6 wickets in hand. Fast-forward to the 17th over, RPS now needed 44 runs off the final three overs with MS Dhoni and Thisara Perera at the crease.

A 15-run over which included a humungous 103 metre six from Dhoni ensured that they were still in the hunt. Still 29 runs were needed off the last two overs. Mohit Sharma bowled a beautiful penultimate over conceding just 6 runs while sending the big-hitting Perera back to the pavilion. Now the equation was down to 23 runs from the 6 balls with Dhoni on strike. Axar Patel was handed the responsibility of bowling the final over.

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For anyone in the cricketing world, 23 off 6 was a mean task but Dhoni, arguably the best finisher, had other plans and what followed was something for the folklores:

Ball 1 was pulled to mid-wicket but Dhoni decided not to run. Still, 23 runs off 5 balls.

Ball 2 was a wide, 22 runs off 5 balls.

Ball 2 was slogged over deep mid-wicket for a six. 16 runs off 4 balls.

Ball 3 witnessed something dramatic as Dhoni was denied a well-deserved boundary courtesy a valiant fielding effort by Hashim Amla at the boundary. 16 runs needed off 3 balls. Anyone would have put his money on KXIP by this moment.

Ball 4 was cut brutally for a four in the deep cover region. Two maximums needed off the last two balls.

Ball 5 was sent over deep mid-wicket for a huge six. There was only one question on everyone’s mind, ‘Can Dhoni do it again?’.

Ball 6 was the answer to the question as he whipped it into the crowd for six runs and steered his team home from an improbable situation.

With this innings, the skipper has also put down the doubts over his batting and big-hitting capability to rest and managed to finish the season with a morale boosting victory.

Watch: MS Dhoni thwacks Patel for 23 in the last over: