Ah well, the league stage of the 2026 IPL season is officially over, and unfortunately for Chennai Super Kings fans, CSK failed to qualify for the playoffs. And perhaps even more painfully, we did not get to witness MS Dhoni on the field even once this season. So honestly, feeling a little emotional about that, we thought — why not go back and relive some memories of the man, the myth, the legend himself?
And that is exactly what we’re going to do. In this special series, we’ll be revisiting seven of MS Dhoni’s most memorable innings for the Yellow Army throughout IPL history. With the IPL still going on, there honestly feels like no better time to celebrate some of the greatest moments produced by Captain Cool in Chennai colours. This post will be divided into two parts — Part 1 releases today, while Part 2 will arrive a few days later. And trust us, by the end of this post, you’ll probably want to go back and watch every single one of these innings all over again.
1. 70* VS Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2018):
When you think of MS Dhoni’s best innings, this one comes to mind instantly—and for good reason. CSK were in big trouble at 74/4, with Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings and Ravindra Jadeja already back in the dugout. The target was 206, which in 2018 was a huge target.
Then walked in the captain. Off just his second ball, he smashed Pawan Negi for a huge six over deep mid-wicket. From that moment, everyone knew we were about to say, “Mahi maar raha hai!” Dhoni went after Corey Anderson and Pawan Negi like it was a practice session. This was prime MS Dhoni on display.
As always, he finished the match with a six—still with two balls left—and took CSK to the top of the table. He scored a brilliant 70 runs from just 34 balls. What a match, what a memory. Only Captain Cool can do things like that.
Photo Credit- ESPN Cricinfo
2. 54* VS Kings XI Punjab (2010):
In the innings we just spoke about, we mentioned that we witnessed prime MS Dhoni—But in the inning we’re about to talk about Dhoni was truly at his most dangerous. This was the phase of his career when he was the No. 1 ranked batsman in the ICC rankings, completely dominating world cricket as a middle order batsman.
For some context, especially for newer fans who may not understand the importance of this knock: CSK had lost 5 of their first 7 matches, and their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals were hanging by a thread. To stay alive, they needed five more wins, and this match against Punjab was absolutely crucial—it would decide their fate.
Once again, CSK found themselves in trouble. And once again, in walked Captain Cool, MS Dhoni. He began his innings with a boundary, helped by a misfield from Yuvraj Singh, but what followed was pure Mahi Magic.
Fast forward to the tense moment where CSK needed 29 runs off 12 balls. This was a must-win situation, and Dhoni took full responsibility. He started with a powerful pull shot for four, followed by another boundary straight over the bowler’s head, reducing the equation to 16 runs in the final over.
The experienced Irfan Pathan was handed the ball. Dhoni hit the first delivery for four—12 needed off 5. The next ball went high into no-man’s land, and CSK managed two runs. Then came one of the most memorable shots of Dhoni’s career—a massive straight six, launched out of Dharamshala, almost into the Himalayas.
With just 4 needed off 3 balls, Dhoni did what he does best—he finished the match with a six, sealing an unbelievable comeback and taking CSK into the semi-finals.
And who can forget the aggression that followed—the roar, the punch to the head, the speech he gave to himself. This was truly Dhoni destruction at its best.
Photo Credit- ESPN Cricinfo
3. 63* VS Sunrisers Hyderabad (2013 Champions League T20)
MS Dhoni had a stellar year with the bat in 2013. In the IPL, he scored 461 runs—his most in a single season—and registered four half-centuries, also his highest in a season. After a relatively quiet Champions Trophy with the bat, Dhoni reminded everyone who’s boss with that insane finish against Sri Lanka.
But even after all that, not many expected this from the Dhoni of the 2010s. This was arguably one of the most explosive innings of his entire career—across both India blue and CSK yellow. CSK were in a tricky position at 115/3 in 14.1 overs when their captain walked in.
What followed was pure carnage. Dhoni began smashing the bowlers all around the ground. That 18th over against Thisara Perera—unbelievable. Dhoni went into complete destruction mode, as Perera conceded 34 runs in the over, with 32 coming off Dhoni’s bat alone, including five sixes. It was an absolute bloodbath.
Dhoni brought up his fifty in just 16 balls—his fastest ever—and finished with 63 off just 19 balls. For a few minutes, it didn’t feel like a cricket match—it felt like one man against the game itself. This was MS Dhoni at his very best.
Hope all of you enjoyed reading this post. Revisiting some of MS Dhoni’s classic IPL innings for Chennai Super Kings definitely brought back a lot of memories for me, and I truly hope it did the same for all of you as well.
And don’t worry — we’re not done yet. Part 2 and the final chapter of this series will be releasing on May 28th, 2026, where we’ll relive a few more unforgettable knocks from Captain Cool in the Yellow jersey.
Until next time!
Thank you.
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