WATCH: Anushka Sharma’s Reaction To Bengaluru Crowd’s Electric Welcome For MS Dhoni Goes Viral

The fandom of Mahendra Singh Dhoni has no boundaries. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain’s mere presence has the ability to turn any ground in the country into a home venue. The scene was quite the same on April 17 at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium where Chennai picked up a thrilling 8-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore (CSK) in a high-intensity IPL 2023 clash. Dhoni might have got to face just one delivery but his brief tenure at the crease was enough to make the atmosphere electric. Virat Kohli’s wife Anushka Sharma, who was present in the stands to cheer for Bangalore, was unquestionably aware of the fact.

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Dhoni walked out to bat following the dismissal of Ravindra Jadeja with only two balls to spare. Right after his arrival, fans went on to show their admiration for the former Indian skipper by turning on their flashlights, despite the colours they were supporting in the match.

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That’s when Anushka Sharma was captured explaining to Faf du Plessis’s wife Imari about the craze of Dhoni among Indian cricket fans. “They love him," Anushka apparently said with a hearty smile. A clip of the B-town diva’s golden reaction was shared on Twitter with a fan terming it the Best Moment of the IPL 2023. “They love him- Words of Anushka Sharma and Imari Du Plessis after the Crowd went Wild over MS Dhoni’s Entry," the caption read.

The pitch at the Chinnaswamy has a reputation for producing high-scoring encounters and there was no exception in Monday’s game. Batting first, Chennai put up a mammoth 226 runs on the board with Devon Conway at his devastating best. The Kiwi batter smashed 83 off just 45 balls, a knock that consisted of 6 boundaries as well as 6 maximums. Shivam Dube, who looked quite pale in the earlier appearances this season, showed off his big-hitting prowess on the batting-friendly surface. The young Indian batter notched up a quick-fire half-century, scoring 52 off 27 deliveries.

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In response, the Royal Challengers made a disastrous start, losing two crucial wickets of Virat Kohli and Mahipal Lomror in the first two overs. A 135-run partnership between Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell then pulled the host out of the situation, sparking the hope for a dominating chase.

In a bid to restrict the run flow, MS Dhoni sent the spinners and the decision clicked well. Moeen Ali dismissed du Plessis for 62, while Maheesh Theekshana got rid of Maxwell, who returned with a 36-ball 72. Following the sudden collapse, Dinesh Karthik, Shahbaz Ahmed and Suyash Prabhudessai tried to take Bangalore across the victory line but fell just 8 runs short of the target.

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