Earlier today, Chennai Super Kings announced on Twitter that the C, D, and E stands of the newly renovated MA Chidambaram Stadium will be open for fans to witness the practice session live in person.
As the evening drew closer, the ardent CSK fans did turn up to the stadium in large numbers to catch a glimpse of their favourite players sweating it out under lights in the build-up to their team’s IPL campaign. And they were duly not disappointed.
The CSK skipper himself walked towards the middle in his all too familiar waddle as the crowd chanted “Dhoni Dhoni” aloud to set the Chepauk Stadium alight. A Twitter user quoted the video shared by Chennai Super Kings and wrote, “Incredible scenes at Chepauk when MS Dhoni entered to bat - Unbelievable.”
The thunderous reception for MS Dhoni in the CSK’s practice session signifies the ever-increasing popularity of the man among the fans even as his cricketing career winds down to a close.
In the same practice session, Ravindra Jadeja was seen waving his right hand towards the fans in sheer admiration, thus putting the disappointment of the last season behind him. The former CSK captain also performed the signature hand gesture of the movie Pushpa to let the CSK fans know that he is ready for the upcoming IPL.
On 31st March, Chennai Super Kings are scheduled to play the opening match of the Indian Premier League season 16th against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. With such buzz and anticipation among the fans, the CSK players will be very excited and quietly confident to put up a great showing in the IPL 2023 compared to last year.