Legendary India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and all-rounder Hardik Pandya will be leading their respective sides in tonight’s IPL 2023 Qualfier 1 between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Both Dhoni and Pandya once contested against each other in a 100-metre dash the veteran keeper unsurprisingly defeated his fellow counterpart.
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Both Dhoni and Pandya are supreme athletes and we have seen that on the cricketing field. Dhoni is 41-year old and is still looking sharp behind the wickets in IPL 2023 despite carrying a knee injury. The longevity of the legendary skipper has impressed everyone beyond imagination.
Pandya is yet another gifted athelete who is super agile on the field. He has worked a lot on his fitness in recent times and has been contributing in all three departments. Dhoni and Pandya are great friends off the field and share a great bond.
When A 36-year Old MS Dhoni Defeated Hardik Pandya in A 100 Metre Dash
In 2017, BCCI shared a video of Dhoni and Pandya having a race on the field. It was looking a cold foggy morning in December. Both of them were looking neck to neck in the initial moments, but Dhoni edged Pandya in the end by the narrowest of margins.
A quick 100 metre dash between @msdhoni and @hardikpandya7. Any guesses on who won it in the end? #TeamIndia #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/HpboL6VFa6
— BCCI (@BCCI) December 13, 2017
Dhoni was 36 at that time, whereas Pandya was just 24. This proves the incredible fitness level of the current Chennai captain. When Dhoni retired from international cricket, Pandya had insisted that he won’t ever be able to fill in his shoes.
MS Dhoni vs Hardik Pandya Head to Head IPL Record
Pandya has not bowled much in IPL 2023 and has scalped just three wickets. However, he may take the ball in his hands if required in the playoffs. We have seen Pandya bowling both with the new ball and at the death in the recent past.
In 27 balls against Pandya, Dhoni has managed to score just 22 runs with the help of a couple of boundaries. Dhoni’s strike rate has just been 81.48 against the right-arm bowler. Pandya has dismissed Dhoni once. This proves that as a bowler, Pandya has had an upper hand against Dhoni.
