MS Dhoni’s brilliant and exceptional captaincy helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to lift the trophy for the fifth time in IPL history. CSK outclassed Gujarat Titans in a final ball thriller at the Narendra Modi Stadium. With the win, Dhoni’s men have equaled Mumbai Indians (MI) with the record fifth title in the IPL.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri was hugely impressed with the leading qualities of legendary captain MS Dhoni, who masterminded CSK’s triumph.

Former India skipper Dhoni made his 250th appearance in the cash-rich league on Monday’s final. The most-capped player in the history of IPL also matched MI skipper Rohit Sharma for the most IPL titles as captain. Shastri applauded the CSK captain for completing 250 games and also for his peerless legacy in the IPL.

250 IPL matches is a tribute to Dhoni’s fitness. No one can match the kind of legacy Dhoni is going to leave behind in this tournament. He is called Thala by the whole of Chennai and Tamil Nadu. The love and adulation a guy from Jharkhand receive down south from fans of CSK is testimony to the greatness of this cricketer, Shastri expressed in an interview with Star Sports.

Shastri feels that Dhoni will continue to lead CSK in the next season as well. Captain Cool will return with even better fitness and the fans will get to witness their beloved Thala don that yellow jersey again. The expectations are going to be high from CSK next year and this team knows pretty well how to handle that pressure of expectations, he concluded.