MS Dhoni Becomes Oldest Player To Win IPL Player Of The Match At 43, Guides CSK To Thrilling Win Over LSG

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) stand-in captain MS Dhoni rolled back the years during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday, delivering a late onslaught that led the team to its second win of the season.

Dhoni blazed his way to 26 runs off just 11 balls, guiding CSK to successfully chase down the 167-run target in a last-over nail-biter.

Photo Credit: PTI

His explosive cameo at the Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow earned him the Player of the Match award.

However, Dhoni, affectionately known as 'Thala', modestly disagreed with the organisers' decision, though the accolade helped him break a long-standing IPL record.

With this Player of the Match title, Dhoni became the oldest cricketer in IPL history to receive the honour, aged 43 years and 280 days.

He surpassed a record held for over a decade by Pravin Tambe, who had previously set the benchmark at 42 years and 208 days during IPL 2014 when he played for Rajasthan Royals against KKR.

Reflecting on the match, Dhoni commented on the team's mixed performance and stressed the need for improvement in the batting department if CSK are to regain form.

"As a bowling unit we've done well. As a batting unit, we can do better. Roles and responsibilities - that's what we talk about. If you get off to a good start, and you're someone who can play through the innings, then why not," Dhoni remarked.

He also praised young batter Shaik Rasheed: "I think he batted really well today. He has been with us for quite a few years. This year he has been batting really well in the nets against both pacers and spinners. It's just the start. He has the capability to dominate with authentic shots."

Speaking about being named Player of the Match, Dhoni humbly stated that he believed Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad was more deserving. "Even today I was like - 'why are they giving me the award?' Noor bowled really well," he said during the post-match presentation.