LSG vs CSK: "Get MS Dhoni out in the middle.."- Dale Steyn issues a threat to Ruturaj Gaikwad

MS Dhoni's craze is unreal. Just as the way people flock to see Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, or Lebron James, fans over here in India are doing the same thing.

Regardless of whether MSD comes out to bat or not, wherever the Chennai Super Kings are going to play their away games, tickets are being sold out at a rapid pace.

But Dhoni's craze is not limited to India or Indian fans only, 14051 kilometers away in South Africa, Thala is as popular, revealed former pacer Dale Steyn. 

The 2024 IPL season is touted to be MS Dhoni's last dance in the Indian Premier League circuit and just like his die-hard fans, Dale Steyn is hoping that MSD has some more seasons left in him. If not two, then at least one more season is what CSK fans are hoping for.

But if that was to be the case, then Dhoni might not have passed on the captaincy baton to opening batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad. In 2022, he did something similar by handing over the reins to Ravindra Jadeja. 

MS Dhoni's journey in IPL since 2022

However, it didn't go as it was planned. The Super Kings had endured a terrible season under Jadeja's captaincy and MS Dhoni, after seeing the situation, had no option but to come back and once again lead the team.

Chennai had finished 9th in the points table and there was no way for Dhoni to leave the Premier League after being at the bottom of the table. It was also the season where CSK was playing as the reigning champions. 

So MS Dhoni came back for the 2023 season as the full-season captain. And the rest, as they say, is history. It was the same Jadeja, without the pressure of captaincy, who scored the winning runs of the IPL 2023 final against Gujarat Titans to get himself a lift from Dhoni himself and help CSK claim their 5th IPL title.

And what was actually supposed to be the season that had given Dhoni the chance to claim back-to-back titles, he once again, unselfishly, passed on the reigns to someone else. 

What did Dale Steyn say about MSD's craze in South Africa?

While speaking to Star Sports recently, Dale Steyn, who has played against MS Dhoni on many occasions in the IPL and international cricket, spoke highly of Thala's craze in South Africa.

Steyn claimed that there is a lot of madness about Dhoni at the Rainbow Nation, which had even hosted the 2nd edition of IPL, back in 2009. 

Steyn further revealed that he doesn't usually watch TV but whenever Dhoni is on the strike, he is glued in front of the Television.

He then stated that watching MSD lifts up his mood and that after years of playing against him, it's a joy for Steyn to witness Thala's batting as a spectator. 

"Not only has it engulfed the IPL. That's engulfed many South Africa and myself, to be honest with you, I don't watch a lot of TV, but I seem to be glued to the seat when the IPL is on my girlfriend says that my TV is broken, it's stuck on cricket right now IPL and watching MS the other night."

"I've been on the receiving end of it before. I've watched it from a fan's point of view, I loved it. I mean, I am in a much better mood because of what I've just seen. So can we get more of MS Dhoni out in the middle? That would be great." - Dale Steyn said via Star Sports.