MS Dhoni winds back the clock on his homecoming

The setting sun provided the ideal backdrop to mark the return of the prodigal son to the city that screams his name. Few hours before the start of the opening match of a tournament he's not even taking part in, his adoring acolytes still queue outside the stadium in the hopes of catching their star in the flesh.

Several prominent former players of Chennai Super Kings walk out before. Those that have won World Cups, brought laurels to the state and a few others go before. There are cheers but you'd mistake them for silence when the crowd goes crazy the moment he steps onto the hallowed turf, he used to call home, his adopted home.

His gait, unmistakable and yet oddly unassuming as he graces the pitch with his presence with the effortlessness of a ballet dancer who's aware of the adulation that rings in his ears.

The crowd erupts and chants of "Dhoni, Dhoni, Dhoni" ring around Chepauk once again. The sea of yellow flares up.

Although he was there at the stadium on 22 October 2015, the India-South Africa ODI that was won the hosts, MS Dhoni was overshadowed by Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers' century. Here, on 22 July 2017, nothing could have overshadowed Dhoni. Not the legends that he was standing beside, the T20 match before which he made an appearance at the ground where he has had so many fond memories from his Test debut to his 224 against Australia.

He had returned. Much like his former side, CSK, the 36-year-old was back, to where many fans believe he belongs, sporting a yellow shirt and jeans. In stark contrast to the veshti-clad Matthew Hayden who stands beside him in a few moments as he makes his way towards and yet only one man is the cynosure of all eyes.

Few could have foreseen the name of a 36-year-old from Ranchi reverberating around Chepauk as it was on bright Saturday evening when Dhoni began playing international cricket. But such is the aura that he holds, that despite the fact that he doesn't speak the language and hasn't played a the ground for nearly two years, everyone wants to see just one man in action.

The attachment that the fans have to the player, who has come to be seen as one of their own is ineluctable. From the kid that sports a CSK jersey to his granddad who wanders in the ground, reminiscing of a bygone era when such adulation was seldom seen, Dhoni has fans everywhere.

And the affection and love is a two-way street. A few minutes after stepping onto the pitch, Dhoni admits that it is "good to be here" in the middle of a ground in which the crowd have given him "unconditional love and affection", so much that he himself admits that this is a second home to him.

His fondness for his time with CSK, is quite evident.

"I think the yellow is pretty special and I think we have done pretty well in the yellow," he says, before going on to address his adoring acolytes.

"Vanakkam Chennai," he begins. "Thanks for the love and affection, you have given over the years. Not only as a franchise player but even when we have come with the Indian team. The support has been fantastic even when we were going through a lean patch in a game and needed some outstanding performance from an individual, the support has always been there.

"Thanks a lot for being true cricket fans and at the same time, I would definitely like to congratulate that CSK is back and next year you will be watching them play here. The long wait is over."

All the anticipation was not just because Chennai was going to witness Dhoni again, but because of the six-hitting competition that he was scheduled to take part in, against his former teammate Matthew Hayden. Being the consummate professional, Dhoni has a go with the bowling machine before he came to the crease, wielding his weapon of mass destruction.

Extra Cover: Matthew Hayden's side defeats MS Dhoni's team ahead of TNPL 2017 opener

By the time he walks, the last of the four batsmen in his side, the contest is already beyond his side. They needed four sixes off three balls just to tie the game. But this was never about, who was winning or losing. It was about watching MS back in full flow.

The first one went over long off. It wasn't a huge hit but there was enough power in it to get it over the line for a six. The second, a lot higher and went a little further as well. But the third was the pick of the pack as it not only had the elevation but also the distance as it was the biggest six of the evening.

On how he goes about hitting his sixes, Dhoni says: "I try to watch the ball and go against the orthodox form of cricket which says hold it lightly. I try to hold it a bit firmly and I don't look for to hit big sixes. What I look for is a good connection. I hit big sixes in practice but in the matches, it is more flat. I don't get lot of elevation."

And just like that, he was gone. With him went the decibels that would have made a heavy metal concert sound serene.

Much like when he walked in, MS Dhoni might be reaching the twilight of his career. The sun that shone so brightly might yet be in its last hours. But as was evident from the roars that reverberated around Chepauk, the last few hours of sunlight can still provide a spark that will linger long in the memory of his adoring acolytes.