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Legendary Indian cricketer and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper MS Dhoni was felicitated ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 clash against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Wednesday.
It was Dhoni's first-ever match at the venue. He was felicitated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) vice-president Rajeev Shukla at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Dhoni opted to field against Lucknow Super Giants after winning the toss. Answering a query from Danny Morrison, a former cricketer from New Zealand during the toss, Dhoni said he has not "decided" the 2023 season to be his last IPL tournament. "Clearly, This wonderful swansong tour, your last. How are you enjoying it?" Morrison asked. "You have decided it is my last IPL, not me," Dhoni said. The former India skipper has a legacy in IPL. He has scored 5,052 runs in 243 matches with an average of 39.47. Batting down the order, he has bagged 24 half-centuries, 348 fours and 237 sixes. Dhoni is associated with CSK since the opening season of the rich-cash league. He has a massive yellow army supporting him in every match and when he comes to the crease, the crowd makes the loudest noise. Captain Cool seems more relaxed and confident in this year's IPL season. He has been finishing games in his own style, hitting bowlers for long boundaries. In nine matches, he has scored 74 runs, playing down the order with an average of 74.00. He has hit eight sixes so far. LSG skipper KL Rahul is not playing in this fixture as he suffered a hamstring injury. CSK will try to exploit this gap in their batting lineup. If CSK wins this game, they might end up at the top of the table depending on their margin of victory. LSG can also claim the top spot with a victory. CSK (Playing XI): Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana LSG (Playing XI): Kyle Mayers, Manan Vohra, Karan Sharma, Ayush Badoni, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran(w), Krunal Pandya(c), Krishnappa Gowtham, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, Mohsin Khan. (ANI)
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