MS Dhoni Gets a Thala-Like Reception as he walks Out to Bat at Vizag in 1st T20I Against Australia | WATCH

MS Dhoni is the biggest rockstar! The former India captain got a rousing welcome when he walked out to bat at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Vizag.

MS Dhoni is the biggest rockstar! The former India captain got a rousing welcome when he walked out to bat at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Vizag. Dhoni has fond memories of this ground, it happens to be the same venue where his blistering 150+ against Pakistan got the whole world talking about the long-haired rockstar. He may have become a global name but for the fans, he still remains the same; the humble next-door boy. Fans at the stadium went berserk on watching him come out to bat.

The 37-year-old is not alien to such receptions, he gets the same treatment even in Australia, England or South Africa. He is probably the most popular cricketer of our times.

Here is the deafening noise Vizag fans make on watching their hero walk out in the middle.

Thala @msdhoni entry 😎. Crowd response 💥💥#INDvAUS #Vizag pic.twitter.com/TYWdSXyFSM

— Amarnadh Varma (@Amar791849) February 25, 2019

Meanwhile, it was Dhoni’s 37-ball 29 that gave Indian bowlers something to bowl at. MS Dhoni’s strike rate of 78.37 is the second-lowest by an India batsman in a T20I inning of 35+ balls. The top order apart from KL Rahul failed to get going on a slow Vizag track.

Australia edge India in a Vizag thriller!

India fight back strong after being kept to 126/7, but Australia manage to reach the line on the final ball for a 3-wicket win!#INDvAUS scorecard ➡️ https://t.co/QNPPeLJl3x pic.twitter.com/3uxL04sP3C

— ICC (@ICC) February 24, 2019

One has to admit that India fought well to make a match out of it. The total of India 126 never looked good enough to challenge the Australians, but the Indians were disciplined in the field and with the ball apart from that forgettable last over. India will host Australia in the last T20I on February 27 and would be looking to level the series.