The captain's armband may have shifted, but M S Dhoni's command remains absolute at the Chennai Super Kings.
Even with Ruturaj Gaikwad at the helm, the true decision-maker often resides behind the stumps, his judgment on DRS calls a force of nature.
In the IPL 2025 opener against the Mumbai Indians, the 'Dhoni Review System' returned, as precise and infallible as ever.
The moment arrived in the tense 18th over. Nathan Ellis, bowling with fire, struck Mitchell Santner on the pads. The umpire's stoic 'not out' was met with Ellis's fervent appeal, but it was Dhoni's quiet, decisive nod that truly mattered.
In a split second, he had assessed the trajectory, the angle, the impact -- a calculation honed over years of experience.
Gaikwad, trusting implicitly in Dhoni's legendary instincts, signalled for the review. The tension in the stadium was palpable as the big screen flickered, revealing the Hawk-Eye replay.
And then, the confirmation: The ball, as Dhoni had predicted, was crashing into the top of middle stump. Santner was out.
The stadium erupted, but the most telling reaction came from Ellis himself. His celebration wasn't just for the wicket; it was an acknowledgement, a near-reverent embrace of the man whose word had turned the tide.
The 'Dhoni Review System' had struck again, its accuracy undiminished.
The Dhoni Review System is back, and it's still the gold standard.
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