In cinema or sport, fans always cheer the loudest whenever their favourite enters the arena. Be it the prostrating crowd in theatres when legendary actor Rajinikanth enters the opening shot of his iconic films or the screams of “Thalapathy” (Leader) whenever actor turned politician Vijay makes his signature entrance, god-like devotion is not new for the adoring fans in Chennai.
However, there is one situation where Chennai’s adoration for one of their many favourite sons has caught the eye over the last couple of years, and it isn’t necessarily a good thing. Ever since MS Dhoni has gotten that much closer to hanging up his gloves, there has been an increase in the crowd’s passionate response whenever he is involved in action at the M Chidambaram stadium; mind you, the cheer is similar across most, if not all, grounds in the IPL but is loudest at home base. But the specific situation that has caught everyone’s eye over the last couple of seasons is when Dhoni walks out to bat at the fall of a wicket.
Daunting task for teammates
While it may delight the crowd when he walks out to the crease, spare a thought for the batter who just lost his wicket. The batter, on many occasions Ravindra Jadeja, has the unenviable task of going back to the dressing room after being dismissed to loud cheers from his own fans. This strange phenomenon does more harm than good for the morale of the team, something former CSK batter Ambati Rayudu says.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, he said: “It is quite daunting if you’re a newcomer. The support is phenomenal. But, as you go on and play, then you realise they are MS Dhoni fans before they are CSK fans. It’s been happening for quite a few years now, and quite a few players have felt it over the years, you know, if not come out openly and said something about it, but internally, a lot of people used to feel that the crowd… even though we also love MS Dhoni, and they also love MS Dhoni and we want to see him bat, but sometimes when you, as an individual, are going out to bat they are shouting from the crowd to… literally asking you to get out. Or they are anticipating or expecting you to get out.
“So it is quite strange, and I don’t think it actually serves the game well to be very honest. All the [other] players are giving their best for the team as well. They are also preparing and doing really well for the franchise, and they have put in a lot of sacrifice to be where they are. When things like that happen from their own crowd, it is, I feel, maybe it can be avoided.”
Should Dhoni address the issue? Rayudu feels that will do a world of good as the 43-year-old rightly calls the shots having been the face of the franchise since its inception.
“I don’t know if MS Dhoni will ever address that. He has not addressed that in the past as well. Maybe he thought it was prudent not to. It’s just the culture. We are in awe of these superstars. I don’t think it should change, but there should be a balance, especially in a team game. Because there are also other individuals who are affected by it. The best person who can address that is MS Dhoni himself.” Rayudu said in the same interview.
Meme material?
CSK versus RCB has always been an intense rivalry and the two fan bases are at each other’s throats with memes and sarcastic digs. Fans of CSK, the joint most successful team in the league with 5 trophies, waste no time in reminding their counterparts across the state border that they have yet to win a trophy in the 17 seasons of the IPL. Meanwhile, RCB fans’ biggest ammunition is the two-year ban CSK served for a betting scandal. While either team is not short of meme material when it comes to making fun of each other, this strange phenomenon of CSK fans egging on their batters to lose their wickets just for a glimpse of Dhoni has only increased social media engagement between the fans.
CSK takes on RCB at the M Chidambaram stadium on March 28, 2025. Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap
