When MS Dhoni is batting, the opposition is never comfortable. The World Cup-winning former India captain has scripted some remarkable victories from improbable situations for both India and Chennai Super Kings in the past. The 40-year-old nearly did it again, this time for CSK in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 opener against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday.

Coming into bat at 61/5 in 10.5 overs after KKR captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to field, Dhoni had a stiff task in his hand to help CSK post a fighting total.

CSK vs KKR, IPL 2022 Highlights | Report

Dhoni is no longer his vintage self, who used to hit the big ones for fun. His reflexes, especially when it comes to batting, have slowed down and that was evident in the way Dhoni laboured through with the bat in CSK’s winning run in IPL 2022.

On Saturday too, Dhoni struggled to get his timing right. The lack of competitive match practice for the man who quit international cricket in 2020, was on display as KKR spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine tied him down.

Dhoni was 5 of 13, 15 of 25 but he finished with 50 not out of 38 balls as CSK finished with 131 at the end of 20 overs on a strangely two-paced Wankhede pitch.

Dhoni took his time to get going but once he found the middle of the blade, the former CSK captain took fans down memory lane. He smashed 7 boundaries and a six and hit 45 of his last 25 deliveries to give CSK an outside chance.

The fact that CSK took the match to the penultimate over is because of Dhoni’s late blitz.

“There is always tension when MS Dhoni is batting. I knew momentum was going to shift towards them with the dew around. It was difficult to grip the ball,” Iyer said.

‘CHUFFED FOR UMESH’

Dhoni’s fifty, his first in the IPL in 3 years, went in vain as KKR gunned down the total with relative ease. New-recruit Ajinkya Rahane hit a solid 44 while Sam Billings and Nitish Rana hit quickfire 20s to help KKR get 2 points on the board.

However, KKR’s victory was set up by Umesh Yadav’s new-ball burst. The senior India pacer, who got a new IPL contract with Kolkata, made good use of the nip in the air on Saturday evening in Mumbai to trouble the CSK batting unit.

Umesh got the big wicket of last season’s Orange Cap winner, Ruturaj Gaikwad, for 0 in the first over and took out New Zealand star Devon Conway in the powerplay. He finished with figures of 2/20 in 4 overs to win the Player of the Match award.

Heaping praise on Umesh, captain Iyer said: “Umesh has worked hard in the nets and did well in the practice games too. Really chuffed to see him perform today.”