Thala’s 23-run last-over heist vs Kings XI in 2016 still echoes as one of the greatest IPL finishes
Some matches fade away. Others leave footprints. And then, there are the rare ones where time just... stops. Visakhapatnam, May 21, 2016 — a sultry evening illuminated by MS Dhoni's bat and billions of gasps. It was Rising Pune Supergiants' final fixture of the season, with little at stake — or so it seemed. But for Dhoni, it was never just a game. It was always about the finish.
Let's walk through that unforgettable chase, ball by ball, roar by roar.
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Kings XI Punjab, led by Murali Vijay, posted a competitive total of 172/7. Hashim Amla's 30 and Vijay's fluent 59 laid the foundation, but Gurkeerat Singh Mann provided the fireworks with a 30-ball 51 — carving through the Pune bowlers with elegant disdain. R Ashwin, playing for RPS that year, was the standout bowler with 4 for 34.
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However, the total was still challenging. This wasn't the kind of pitch you'd stroll on while chasing 170-plus. And RPS? Already knocked out of the playoffs. It was pride on the line. And Dhoni doesn't drop the ball when pride's involved.
The chase? Let's just say it wasn't a cruise. Ajinkya Rahane got off to a brisk start but fell for 19. George Bailey and Saurabh Tiwary couldn't anchor the innings. Usman Khawaja's 30 off 29 balls lacked urgency. Irfan Pathan scratched around for 2 runs. Thisara Perera's fiery 23 off 14 balls did bring some hope, but at 144 for 6 in 18.1 overs, things were slipping — fast.
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The equation? 23 required off 6 balls. And only one man left standing — the man in orange and blue, gripping his bat like a sword.
Axar Patel had the ball. Not a bad choice, given his form. The first two deliveries? Dot, wide, dot. The stadium sighed. Game over? Not yet.
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Dhoni stepped across, swung big, and launched the third ball for six. Pulse returning. The fourth? He refused a single. Yes, you read that right. Dhoni turned down the run — to retain strike, of course. Madness? Genius.
Ball four. Smacked over extra cover for four.
Now, 12 off 2.
Next ball — bang! Six. The dugout rose. 6 needed off the last.
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The final ball. Patel flights it again. Dhoni reads it like a bedtime story. He waits, leans in, and launches it over midwicket. Clean as a whistle. The crowd erupts. Dugouts spill over. The players run in.
Dhoni, though? Calm as ever. No fist pumps. No screams. Just a soft fist tap with Ashwin as they walk off.
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64 off 32 balls*, with 5 sixes and 4 fours. Strike rate of 200. A finish that left commentators stuttering and statisticians fumbling.
Many remember the helicopter. Some recall the World Cup six. But ask a diehard IPL fan, and they'll tell you — this was classic Thala. No stakes, no spotlight, but every bit of magic.
While RPS faded from the IPL map the following year, Dhoni's 2016 finish remains etched like a legend told in hushed tones. Every season, when a last-over chase begins, fans still whisper: Remember Vizag 2016? Remember when Dhoni made time stop?
They do. We all do.
