This year’s IPL saga came to a close on May 29, with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lifting the trophy for the fifth time, led by perhaps one of the most beloved captains in all times — ‘Captain Cool’ Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Fans are still celebrating the team’s win on social media, and one of the most shared videos is the team’s final celebration as Ravindra Jadeja scored a boundary off the last ball, clinching the win for his team.
As we wait to see if Dhoni will play another season, we take a look at some of the moments featuring the winning team and Captain Cool, which broke the Internet:
Team CSK put an ‘end to the trend’
CSK players recreated the All Eyes On Me TikTok and Instagram trend after winning the title. Jadeja, who shared the stage with Dhoni to receive the trophy, is seen leading the pack, much like he did on the field, as he walks in with the shiny cup. He joins his merry bunch of teammates — sans the captain, unfortunately— for them to pose All Eyes On Me-style. You can feel the excitement of winning that carried over from the field to the dressing room. The reel has received 400k views since it went up and shows that CSK’s social media game is on-point — another tick from the fans!
From one legend to another
Sunil Gavaskar had a heartwarming fanboy moment with Dhoni. During a post-match presentation at the CSK-KKR match at Chepauk (M. A. Chidambaram Stadium), the veteran cricket great left a conversation mid-way and ran towards M S Dhoni, who did a lap of honour to mark the last league game at the home stadium. Gavaskar got the former Indian captain’s autograph on his shirt, and later went on to say that he would cherish that shirt forever. Gavaskar’s fan-thusiasm and Dhoni’s delight, make this one of the most wholesome moments of IPL 2023.
The time-travelling captain
While CSK battled it out with Punjab Kings on the field, eagle-eyed fans noticed a Dhoni lookalike in the stands. Wearing a CSK jersey and cap, this wasn’t just any lookalike, but looked like an older version of the captain. Fans across all social media platforms went berserk at the striking resemblance between the two, calling the spectator the ‘Dhoni from the future’. Memes and laughs followed, with many suggesting that the time-travelling Dhoni be questioned about the results of future IPL editions.
Dad’s little girl
In this viral IPL moment, Ziva Dhoni celebrates CSK’s win against Delhi Capitals in the 55th match of the season by giving her father a hug. Ziva walks onto the field with a member of staff and then closes the final distance with a run. The smiles on their faces are bound to brighten your day. This video was shared by the official IPL page with the iconic opening song from The Lion King, which is played at the time of Simba’s birth, Graça Cunha’s Ciclo Sem Fim/Nants’ Ingonyama.
The ‘Whistle Podu’ fans
The final showdown of IPL 2023 was one of the most entertaining matches of the season. From Sai Sudharsan’s explosive batting to Jadeja finishing it in style, it was a nail-biter from start to finish. What added to the electrifying atmosphere were the fans whose spirits weren’t dampened even after the rain-induced delays and halts. CSK’s whistle podu fans really showed up for the team at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Their resounding enthusiasm can be seen in this video, which shows the cheers after the last ball of the match that could be heard even outside the stadium. As the cheers continue, celebrating fans run out, still cheering and clearly off to celebrate!
The winning… lift!
There was a hiccup in CSK’s march to victory as Rayudu and then M.S. Dhoni fell in quick succession, though the former played an impressive albeit very short innings. Then, in came Ravindra Jadeja, who kept his cool and took his side to a sensational victory off the final two deliveries of what was one of Mohit Sharma’s best performances (upto those last two balls). Jadeja’s fantastic performances earned him a jolly lift from the captain himself. You see the entire spectrum of the moods in those final few minutes of the game, from Dhoni tracking the trajectory of the hits with a worried look, to the team spilling out on the field in jubilation. The tension, and the ultimate relief and celebration shows exactly what this victory meant to the team, the fans, and most importantly Thala Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
BONUS
From ‘Thala’ to Narayan Shankar
This isn’t a reel, but it got our attention! This viral meme shows the CSK captain in the avatar of Amitabh Bachchan’s Narayan Shankar from Mohabbatein, with the character’s catchphrase from the movie, “Parampara. Pratishtha. Anushasan.” While most of us might not have liked the authoritarian Shankar, it cannot be denied that Gurukul was star school and Shankar’s three favourite words probably had a role to play in it — he is, after all, the captain of the ship.
In the 14 IPL seasons that they’ve appeared in, it has become a near-ritual for CSK to reach the finals, with 2023 being the 10th time. While it was the 10th IPL final for CSK, it was the 11th for Dhoni, as his other team, Rising Pune Supergiants, had entered the finals in the 2017 edition of the IPL. Well, there was definitely some anushasan behind this parampara to gain such pratishtha.
