MS Dhoni is the greatest finisher in the history of IPL: Irfan Pathan

Bengaluru, April 25: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) talisman MS Dhoni's name is back on everyone's lips after his match-winning knock against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 tie.

With his sterling performances in IPL 2022, the former Indian captain is proving why he is regarded as the ultimate finisher in the tournament.

And no wonder ex-India all-rounder Irfan Pathan rates his as the face of IPL.

"MS Dhoni is the greatest finisher in the history of IPL. Year after year, someone else has been joining this list but no one has been able to displace Dhoni. He is the identity of this league, its true ambassador," Pathan said on the Cricket Live show on Star Sports, the official broadcaster of IPL 2022.

In the recent IPL 2022 tie against MI, CSK needed 17 off the last over to script a hard-to-believe win.

It came down to 16 off 4 balls and Dhoni finished it in style with sequences of 6, 10, 2 and 4 to show that eventhough he is close to celbrating his 41st birthday, his reflexes have not slowed down.

"MSD and AB de Villiers have been the biggest finishers in the history of IPL, but Dhoni is at the forefront of it. He is the greatest," Pathan added.

On Monday (April 25), CSK take on Punjab Kings in Match 38 of IPL 2022 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

For both CSK and PBKS, this match might just play a crucial role in the teams' future in the league.

The CSK under Ravindra Jadeja are placed ninth with four points and a win can keep their slender play-off hopes alive.

On the other hand, the PBKS under Mayank Agarwal have six points and are placed a place above and they also need to win to return to among the teams that have chances to enter the play-offs.

IPL POINTS TABLE | FIXTURES/RESULTS

So, with both the teams needing a win out of this match, it will be an interesting affair on Monday night.

Pathan also claimed that despite languishing in the IPL 2022 points table, no team can still take CSK lightly for the defending champions know how to win games from the worst of situations.

"No team can make the mistake of underestimating CSK. This is a team which knows how to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

This team has done it many a time and that is why it has always been the most dangerous of sides in the history of the league.

And against PBKS on Monday night, Pathan is once again banking on Dhoni to deliver the goods.

"If we talk about this season, it is pertinent to mention the names of Rahul Tewatia, Dinesh Karthik, Shimron Hetmyer because they have been finishing the games continuously for their teams. But when it comes to the ultimate finisher, obviously only one name will come to the mind and that is Dhoni's," Pathan concluded.

Watch the pre-match telecast of PBKS vs CSK from 6:30 pm onwards on Star Sports Network and Hotstar. Match starts at 7.30pm IST.