IPL 2020 saw CSK in unfamiliar territory -- way down in the points table and out of the play-offs.
Much carping ensued -- about CSK having too many oldies in the side, about its captain having lost his magic touch, of Dhoni's batting getting rusty and out of touch (after all, he had scored just 200 runs in 14 games, his lowest tally since the IPL began).
IPL 2021 has seen CSK return ito its winning ways. And Dhoni's captaincy has been top notch in every one of the 11 games so far.
On Thursday, September 30, CSK comfortably won the 44th game of IPL 2021 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Sharjah cricket stadium and became the first side to book a place in the play-offs.
And even though he has scored just 66 runs in the competition so far, Thala's batting against SRH (14 runs off 11 balls including a six and a four) revealed glimpses of the Dhoni of old.
Please click on the images and you will know what we mean...
![](http://im.rediff.com/cricket/2021/oct/01ipl-dhoni1.jpg)
Here you go for a six! All Photographs: Rahul Gulati/Sportzpics for IPL/BCCI
![](http://im.rediff.com/cricket/2021/oct/01ipl-dhoni2.jpg)
Will this silence my critics?
![](http://im.rediff.com/cricket/2021/oct/01ipl-dhoni3.jpg)
Did that shot see the boundary?
![](http://im.rediff.com/cricket/2021/oct/01ipl-dhoni4.jpg)
I can pull off this stroke effortlessly.
![](http://im.rediff.com/cricket/2021/oct/01ipl-dhoni5.jpg)
This sureshot made its way to the ropes.
![](http://im.rediff.com/cricket/2021/oct/01ipl-dhoni6.jpg)
That's a shot I always love to play.
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
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