MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings will take on Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans in the first match of the IPL Playoffs also known as IPL Qualifier 1 on Tuesday, May 23, 2023
The CSK vs GT IPL match will be held at Chennai Super Kings' homeground MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. A huge crowd is expected to turn up in yellow to support CSK, and most importantly Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
While MS Dhoni, 41, has not yet confirmed whether IPL 2023 will be his last IPL, there has been a buzz around his retirement from the league. Amid this buzz, fans have been filling stadiums in yellow CSK jerseys as a tribute to the CSK skipper
A sea of yellow has been following MS Dhoni in every stadium during the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) and the decibel levels at the MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), home ground of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), shoots through the roof every time Dhoni, also known as Thala, walks on to the crease
The yellow fever gripped Eden Gardens during Chennai Super Kings’ game against Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this IPL season. Even in the IPL match in Bengaluru against Royal Challengers Bangalore, CSK supporters outnumbered the home side. In Ahmedabad and Mumbai too, crowds painted several stands in CSK’s yellow
The yellow shirts outnumbered purple jerseys at Eden Gardens during CSK vs KKR match on April 23, 2023. Right from the time MS Dhoni landed in Kolkata to the time he addressed the post-match presentation ceremony as the winning captain, there were 'Dhoni, Dhoni' chants in Kolkata. Banners with messages for MS Dhoni dominated the stadium, making it look like CSK were playing in Chepauk
An emotional Dhoni thanked the crowd in Kolkata for their incredible support. "I will just say thanks for the support, they came in big numbers. Most of these guys will come in a KKR jersey next time. They are trying to give me a farewell, so thanks a lot to the crowd," said MS Dhoni while keeping fans guessing about his future in the IPL
Not only Chepauk and Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Sawai Man Singh in Jaipur turned yellow this edition in support of Dhoni. Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson even rued during the toss about the overwhelming presence of yellow during a home game. "Would love to see some pink here today, but it's yellow and we know that the reason is (a wry smile)," said Samson
IPL 2023 kick-started with Gujarat Titans vs Chennai Super Kings match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Since Ahmedabad is Gujarat Titans’ home ground, everyone expected the home supporters to create a sea of navy blue, and they didn’t disappoint. However, CSK also received the same amount of love. Looking at the number of CSK supporters in the stands, some even argued that they outnumbered the home supporters
MS Dhoni has said nothing explicitly about his retirement plans. However, he did mention that he is in the last phase of his career after the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chepauk
"All said and done, it's the last phase of my career, however long I play. After two years, the fans have had the opportunity to come here and watch, feels good to be here. The crowd has given us a lot of love and affection. Not getting enough chances to bat, but no complaints,” said MS Dhoni