MS Dhoni is a national hero: Nicholas Pooran lauds CSK great for huge crowd support

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's immense popularity in India was once again evident last Friday at a home game in Lucknow, although there's hardly anything left to prove. Even after stepping down as the captain of Chennai Super Kings, Dhoni continues to make his presence felt on the field. Playing against Lucknow Super Giants, he batted like a hero, though Chennai ended up losing the match.

West Indies star Nicholas Pooran, playing for Lucknow, was visibly moved by the love shown by the crowd at Ekana Stadium for Dhoni.

Pooran remained unbeaten with 23 runs off 12 balls, securing his team's victory with six balls to spare. Before that, Dhoni delivered a cameo innings in the first inning, which helped Chennai reach a total of 176 runs. Dhoni was unbeaten at 28 runs off 9 balls, hitting 2 sixes and 3 fours.

West Indies star Pooran commented, "Not just in this league, but in every league. When he comes out to bat, it’s like a sea of yellow outside. It’s beautiful to see. He is a national hero."

Speaking with Star Sports, Pooran added, "We didn’t play during Brian Lara’s era, everyone was a die-hard fan of his. But it feels good to witness something beautiful like this firsthand. Being in such a position feels great. It feels good to be in the same place, share these moments, and we’ll be able to tell our children and grandchildren about this."

In yesterday’s match, in response to Chennai’s 176 runs, Lucknow easily clinched the victory, where captain Lokesh Rahul played a significant role with an 82-run inning, forming a century-opening partnership with Quinton de Kock. Pooran’s batting played a key role in sealing the win at the end.