Former Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni and Royal Challengers Bengaluru's star batter Virat Kohli shared a warm hug after the opening match of the IPL 2024 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk on Friday, March 22.
The defending champions CSK kicked off their campaign with a six-wicket win over RCB in the season opener. With a target of 174, Chennai Super Kings chased it down in 18.4 overs. The middle-order batters Shivam Dube (34*) and Ravindra Jadeja (25*) took the team past the finishing line after the hosts were in a spot of bother when they required 46 off 30 balls to win the match.
After the match, players from Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore congratulated each other after a well-fought contest. However, a warm hug between Dhoni and Kohli shows their mutual respect for each other and strong bonding between them.
During the Royal Challengers Bangalore innings, Kohli gave a hug to his old friend Dhoni when the former walked out to bat. MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli often share a strong bonding and camaraderie on and off the field. Because of their strong friendship, fans gave them the sobriquet 'Mahirat'. Former Royal Challengers Bangalore captain credited MS Dhoni for helping him to get out of the lean patch.
Ruturaj Gaikwad earns first win as a captain
After serving as captain for Chennai Super Kings in 14 IPL seasons, MS Dhoni decided to step down from the leadership role and handed it over Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of IPL 2024.
Dhoni stepped as the most successful captain with 133 wins in 226 matches for CSK and Rising Pune Super Giants (2016). In terms of number of IPL trophies, the 42-year-old is the joint-most successful skipper alongside former Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma, with five titles.
The Chennai Super Kings began their new era under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad on Friday as they kicked off their campaign with a win over Royal Challengers Bangalore. Gaikwad earned his first win as a captain of the team that has rich legacy in the history of IPL.
Chennai Super Kings will play their next against Gujarat Titans in Chepauk on March 26, Tuesday.