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A lot of memories were made during the first-ever Chennai Super Kings (CSK) 'ROAR 26' event, which saw the Men in Yellow's OG stars reunite and put on a spectacle for the fans, especially the ones who grew up with legends like MS Dhoni, Matthew Hayden, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Muttiah Muralitharan dominating the formative years of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The event witnessed a reunion of stars from trophy-winning squads like Ambati Rayudu, Matthew Hayden, Muthiah Muralidaran, Parthiv Patel, S Badrinath, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Joginder Sharma, Murali Vijay and Lakshmipathy Balaji, etc. The crowd at the Chepauk Stadium was also treated to a performance by Grammy-winning musician AR Rahman, a meeting between 'Thala' MS Dhoni and musical icon, and a duel between these legends of the past against the current CSK players. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWL8kQZk55h/ Dhoni was involved in some of the most wholesome moments of the day, be it playing with batter Sarfaraz Khan's son, meeting with AR Rahman, and smiling like a child when big guns from the past like Raina and Michael Hussey (the current batting coach) showed that they 'still got it' in the nets. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWMYn8flOEo/ https://www.instagram.com/p/DWMneyUDMrL/ Raina, known as the 'Chinna Thala' to the CSK fanbase, as Dhoni's long-time friend and most trusted Man in Yellow, turned back the clock against Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmed. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWMneyUDMrL/ Hussey, known as the 'Mr Cricket' and the current batting coach, had a one-on-one duel with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's spin bowling, and at 50 years of age, the Aussie legend dispatched him for a 'smooth as butter' hit that went sailing into the skies. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWL_B5iDMR1/ Matthew Hayden, the 2009 Orange Cap winner with 572 runs, known for walking down the pitch and effortlessly dispatching the best of deliveries into the crowd during his prime, looked imperious and muscular as ever. Known for batting with a high power-generating 'Mongoose bat' during his stint with the franchise for a brief time, Hayden did not need this particular piece of cricket equipment, as even at 54, his hitting remained as strong against Shivam Dube, leaving the bowler giving him a thumbs up as a mark of respect. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWMHD-HjF2k/ Dhoni looked at his most animated in years, having fun with his teammates, sharing smiles, and even teasing a lightning-fast stumping when another OG multi-time IPL champion, Dwayne Bravo, was in action. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWMIdF8DDw-/ https://www.instagram.com/p/DWMCivJDKTE/ When Rayadu and Bravo locked horns in a battle of legends, Dhoni also brought back the famous, much-talked-about and amazingly accurate 'Dhoni Review System' that had won the franchise those five IPL titles. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWL_yyZDBDk/ The night also offered the recently-crowned T20 World Cup 'Player of the Tournament', Sanju Samson, a glimpse into how beloved a player becomes once he lands on CSK's home soil. He was treated to a stunning ovation from the crowd that undoubtedly would have rivalled the one received by Dhoni, the most revered, the most loyal of them all! Yes, Sanju was a Rajasthan Royals stalwart for years, but the moment he stepped on the field at Chepauk in his training kit, he was cheered as if he had been a part of the Yellow camp for years. This experience would no doubt motivate Samson to unleash his best form in the IPL, carrying on the momentum from a career-defining T20 World Cup triumph. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWLzSBWjMpN/ The night at Chepauk was also about acknowledging the greatness and the contributions made for the betterment of not only the franchise but also Indian cricket. Dhoni felicitated India's T20 World Cup winning stars Dube and Samson, and the U19 World Cup winning captain Ayush Mhatre with mementoes. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWMFloEjCkj/ Also, for their contributions to making CSK a massively successful franchise cricket dynasty that has spread its presence in South Africa and the USA, Raina and Hayden were named as the first two inductees of the 'CSK Hall of Fame'. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWMW4yHEwZY/?img_index=1 As the night reached its conclusion, singer and actor Sivakarthikeyan, who was also present at the event as one of the performers, echoed every fan's desire when it comes to their favourite cricketing superstars: To play as long as they can. Dhoni, who is speculated to be playing his last season this year, was requested by the singer to 'Play till he is 60'. To this, 'Thala' could only reply that 'He will try', while also acknowledging his declining fitness levels with age by pointing out 'It is on the way down'. https://www.instagram.com/p/DWMZuhNDOGj/ The OGs and 'Class of 2026' were presented before a passionate Chennai crowd. For long, the CSK brand thrived on the back of efforts put in by Dhoni, Raina, Murali Vijay, Bravo, Hayden, Muralitharan, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Now, the torch has been passed from 'Daddy's Army' to a younger brigade of talents like Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Sanju, Urvil Patel, Ruturaj, Noor, Anshul Kamboj, and big buys Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, etc. to carry that legendary aura forward and paint every IPL season 'yellow'. https://x.com/ChennaiIPL/status/2035726946529927594 https://x.com/ChennaiIPL/status/2035748986292929015 CSK will start their campaign against the Rajasthan Royals from March 30 onwards at Guwahati. (ANI)
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