CSK IPL 2023: MS Dhoni on the left and fans in the stadium on the right. (CSK Twitter/ B Venkata Krishna)CSK IPL 2023: Indian Premiere League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) allowed fans into the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday to witness their beloved cricketers practice ahead of the 16th edition of the tournament.
The franchise shared the pictures of the fans in the stadium and captioned it, “Yes, LIVE from the Stands 🙌”.
Fans can be seen eagerly waiting to see their players. Star bowler Deepak Chahar was seen sharing flying kisses with the fans.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and English star all-rounder Ben Stokes are expected to participate in the session.
CSK will take on defending champions Gujarat Titans in the opener on Friday.
Cherry, swinging in all the #Yellove 💛#WhistlePodu 🦁 pic.twitter.com/nPOMijfNUm
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 27, 2023
CSK finished ninth in the 10-team tournament last year after winning the title in 2021. In the press conference of the final league game of CSK in 2022, Dhoni said,” Next season, it shouldn’t be like they are starting from scratch.”
Stokes was signed by the Chennai Super Kings in the mini auction last year for an eye-watering 16.25 crore, but there were reports that he might not be with the franchise for the entirety of the IPL to begin preparation for the Ashes.
#IPL2023
Chennai Super Kings fans chanted Dhoni’s name during the side’s practice session at the Chepauk.Video credit: @venkatatweets pic.twitter.com/GIKgenqqYg
— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) March 27, 2023
Stokes is also dealing with a knee injury he suffered while playing against New Zealand. However, he has committed to play for Chennai, and it is understood that a clear picture of his full availability will only emerge after he joins the team.
While there have been calls for Stokes to sit out the IPL, England coach Brendon McCullum believes that playing in the IPL will not jeopardise Stokes’ chances of playing in the Ashes.
“I don’t think he’s jeopardising it. The Chennai set-up is excellent in looking after their players and they’ve a very good medical team and he will be well looked after,”
McCullum was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“The skipper has a strong mind and he knows how to get right for the big moments. His life is that, right? So I don’t have any concerns,” he added
Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.
3 min read
