As ‘Thala’ MS Dhoni stepped out for his 400th T20 appearance, in the stands the original ‘Thala’ of Kollywood, Ajith Kumar, was there to cheer him on.
There’s nothing quite like an IPL night at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium — the stands painted in yellow, the energy pulsating.
On Friday, that script was grander than usual as ‘Thala’ MS Dhoni stepped out for his 400th T20 appearance. And in the stands, the original ‘Thala’ of Kollywood, Ajith Kumar, was there to cheer him on.
Ajith watched the game alongside fellow star Sivakarthikeyan, whose blockbuster Amaran won hearts across the country.
Adding to the star-studded stands was actress Shruti Haasan, a passionate CSK supporter.
But the script didn’t pan out like a feel-good film. Instead, it turned into a slow-burn thriller that ended in heartbreak for the Yellow Army.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, led by their bowlers and a match-turning catch and cameo from Kamindu Mendis, defeated CSK by five wickets, pushing Dhoni’s men to the brink of IPL elimination. The atmosphere at Chepauk, once electric, turned somber.
Dhoni, the man of the moment, could manage only 6 off 10 balls before falling to Harshal Patel. A wave of disbelief swept through the crowd, silencing the whistles and cheers that had greeted him just minutes earlier.
In the sea of stunned faces, there was only one visible smile — that of SRH owner Kavya Maran, who had every reason to celebrate. Her team pulled off their first-ever win at Chepauk, and did so on a night meant to be Dhoni’s.
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