MS Dhoni rolled back the years with a vintage performance, guiding Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to a crucial five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2025. His unbeaten 26 off 11 balls earned him the Player of the Match award his first in five years. Chasing a tricky total, Dhoni and Shivam Dube (43*) stitched a 57-run stand to seal the win with three balls to spare. Despite receiving the award, Dhoni humbly credited the team’s bowlers, particularly Noor Ahmad and Ravindra Jadeja, for the victory.

CSK made tactical changes, dropping Ashwin to include more pace options. Dhoni explained this brought better balance and maneuverability to the bowling unit. The match also saw Dhoni achieving a historic milestone becoming the first wicketkeeper to cross 200 IPL dismissals. After enduring a winless run, Dhoni said the victory brought relief and renewed confidence, calling it “good to finally win a game.”