It was a familiar sight watching Deepak Chahar perform superbly in a sea of yellow at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. However, the colour of his jersey was different this time. Having represented the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for six seasons, Chahar was released by the franchise and was picked by rivals Mumbai Indians (MI) for Rs 9.25 crore. After CSK beat MI in their IPL 2025 opener, he was involved in a banter with none other than MS Dhoni!
Bat treatment from Dhoni to Deepak?
The Chepauk crowd got a superb opportunity to watch Dhoni bat albeit for a couple of minutes. Chennai needed 4 runs to win the match with eight balls remaining. Notably, Dhoni showed a selfless act as he played the last two balls without a run in order to give Rachin Ravindra an opportunity to finish off the game. However, it was a moment after the game that caught eyeballs.
During the customary handshake, Dhoni had a fun moment with his former teammate Deepak Chahar. As Chahar was walking past Dhoni, the legendary CSK icon jokingly hit his bat on Chahar’s back. It was all in zest! However, one major reason for this “fun” could be how Chahar celebrated after doing well against his former franchise.
Mahi bhai mandatory bat treatment for deepak Chahar
— Ayush Tomar (@ayush_tomar8) March 23, 2025pic.twitter.com/swUY9AklL2
Despite making a name for himself by playing 76 matches in a CSK jersey, Chahar wildly celebrated when he took a wicket of Rahul Tripathi in his first over for MI. Also, Chahar punched life into the match as he hit a vital unbeaten 28 off just 15 deliveries to take MI above 150. Chahar’s performance was certainly one of the positives for MI apart from Vignesh Puthur’s brilliance. However, the Chepauk crowd and even Dhoni might not have liked his outward celebrations!
CSK continue MI’s first-match blues
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) kicked off their IPL campaign with a convincing win at home, with highlights including Ruturaj Gaikwad’s fastest IPL fifty, a four-wicket haul by Noor, and a lightning-quick stumping by MS Dhoni. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians (MI) continued their unusual tradition of losing their opening game, marking their 13th consecutive loss in an IPL opener.
