He was dismissed by 24 runs off 4 overs in 5.5 overs. CSK, 152 sets for the win, were in dire strain with 128 required to win 85 delivery on the required run rate of 9.03.
Until CSK's dismissal, he reached 144 in 6 overs in 19.3 overs and he needed only 8 runs in the last 3 balls.
The last ball six ensured the exciting win - their sixth in the seven games - and the score on the table topped the position of the CSK. It was a victory that MS Dhoni had laid the foundation of - in partnership with Ambati Rayudu.
It was a fantastic Dhoni innings pressure - the pressure of early wickets, the revival of the innings, and the formation of the match-changing partnership with Rayudu (57 balls in 47 balls) makes the pace increase later in the innings.
It was Dhoni's 100th victory as captain in the IPL - the first captain to reach the landmark. Dhoni has the highest winning percentage of captain in IPL history as well - 60.24%. Rohit Sharma (57.45%) and Gautam Gambhir (55.04%) are followed by him.
Dhoni and Rayudu were vigilant and after trying to bring the innings back on track after the rain of wickets. For 4 to 4 (5.5 overs), CSK scored 4 for 4 in 9.1 overs - in this period only 16 runs in 20 deliveries. Dhoni was unbeaten on 5 off 9 balls, when he made his first big shot - to accumulate Shreyas Gopal for a longer time.
CSK managed to chase just 50 runs. They needed 102 out of the next 10.
Before playing Gopal in the 13th over, Dhoni scored Ryan Pollock at deep mid-wicket in the 11th over.
Rayudu threw some fast ball from the other end and CSK scored 101 runs for 4 wickets after 15 overs. They still needed 51 in the last 51 From 5 out of 9 deliveries, Dhoni scored 34 runs out of 25. He added 29 runs with a strike rate of 1 runs1.25 in 16 deliveries.
Gopal and Jopra Archer scored just 5 and 7 in the next two overs. CSK now needed 39 runs at the rate of 13 runs per over in the last three overs.
Dhoni bowled Ben Stokes on the second ball of the 18th over on Deep square leg for sixes, but the bowler came back well and saw Rayudu's back in the same over.
Need 30 runs in the last two overs. Dhoni kept CSK in prey.
However, the CSK captain was now struggling and was running out of steam in the event of severe weather in Jaipur.
He continued to work hard during the wickets, although he was not getting the strength to hit the boundary. Dhoni is clearly sprayed for breath, still sprinkling for three consecutive twins - testimony of his patience and determination to win the match for CSK.
On the last ball of Archer's 19th over, a lucky boundary from the inside edge of fine leg meant that the CSK needed 18 out of the remaining six bowlers.
Ravindra Jadeja hit six on Stokes in the first ball of the 20th over.
It was CSK match from there. On the third ball, Dhoni was dismissed by 58 runs (134.88, strike rate) at 43 balls, but had worked from his side till then.
Some dramas were found in the last over - a no ball, a canceled no-ball, and one last ball of Mitchell Stanner. CSK won a cliff-hangar.
The partnership between Dhoni and Raidu was going to win the match for the CSK. Dhoni contributed 44 runs in 35 balls, while Rayudu scored 45 runs in 36 balls.
Dhoni conveyed his innings to the fullest. He started at the time when CSK lost the opening wicket, but there was a steam in between but then handed the batsmen like Rayudu and Jadeja when he got out of the gas and went into the mouth of death.
Dhoni is the leading scorer for CSK this season with 214 runs in 5 innings. He also leads the average (107) and strike rate (127.38) chart (minimum 50 runs) for his franchise.
In a stressful but successful pursuit, 32 knots out of 35, out of 46 not out from 46, and 37 have bowled first to bat at the end while batting first and finally 43 runs in 43 under pressure of losing wickets and climbing Required run-rate for - Dhoni has quieted his critics once again with his performance.
India will hope that it can repeat its success when it changes its jersey from yellow to blue in less than two months from now.
