The final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 headed into the Reserve Day after play could not be possible on Sunday due to persistent rain at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Fans turned up in numbers hoping to see MS Dhoni lift the IPL trophy for the 5th time in his career with the Chennai Super Kings but had to return home disappointed. Though Dhoni's men are scheduled to take on Gujarat Titans on Monday, the prospect of Dhoni playing on a 'Reserve Day' brought back some horrible memories.
It was the semi-final of the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup between India and New Zealand when the match had to be shifted to the 'Reserve Day' because of rain on the scheduled day. New Zealand pacers, particularly Matt Henry, ran riot in overcast conditions to put India on the backfoot early on.
The match also saw Dhoni, the last hope of the Indian team, being run-out by Martin Guptill, helping the Kiwis secure an 18-run win. The match turned out to be Dhoni's last in the Indian jersey, with the former skipper deciding to retire from international cricket a few months later.
Seeing the IPL 2023 final heading into a Reserve Day too, fans fear if this would be the last time they would see Dhoni bat in the IPL too.
Last time when Dhoni went on to play on a reserve day #CSKvsGT #IPLFinals pic.twitter.com/gobCXIq651
— RolexShetty (@RolexShetty45) May 28, 2023
Last time when Dhoni played on Reserve day pic.twitter.com/qkC3yFKe1A
— (@godvilliers17) May 28, 2023
Last time when Dhoni played on reserve day https://t.co/9j6pl23pe8 pic.twitter.com/YyeqTYHdKF
— (@Itzshreyas07) May 28, 2023
Need to do some unfinished job on reserve day Dhoni pic.twitter.com/piSYR0cfOW
— Div| Dube Stan (@div_yumm) May 29, 2023
Last time MS Dhoni played a match on reserve day. #GTvsCSK #IPL2023Finals pic.twitter.com/W4UxAx5nxt
— Akshat (@AkshatOM10) May 28, 2023
After the Qualifier 1, Harsha Bhogle had asked Dhoni about his future plans. The former India captain didn't give a clear answer and said he has about 8-9 months to decide whether he will play next year or not.
"I don't know. I have 8-9 months to decide. The small auction will be around December. So why to take that headache right now? I have ample time to decide. But, I will always be there for CSK whether it's in the playing form or sitting somewhere outside. I don't really know," Dhoni had said.
As for the CSK vs GT final on Reserve Day, the name of the winner can be decided even via a Super Over if rain disrupts proceedings again. If play is not possible at all, Gujarat Titans will be declared winners as they finished higher in the league stage of the campaign.
