Ambati Rayudu, a former batter for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), feels that the incredible fan devotion that MS Dhoni receives during the IPL, particularly at Chepauk, is detrimental to the game. Rayudu clarified that although every member of the squad works really hard, they occasionally find themselves in an odd circumstance where their own supporters applaud their removal because Dhoni is the next to bat.
In both Indian and global cricket, MS Dhoni is without a question one of the most admired figures in the sport. In August 2020, he declared his retirement from international cricket. However, the IPL supporters’ fervor for the former India skipper is still unrivaled. The 43-year-old also received a thunderous greeting during CSK’s first game against the Mumbai Indians (MI).
Rayudu, Dhoni’s former franchise colleague, told ESPNcricinfo that although Dhoni mania in the IPL is entertaining to watch, it might not be the greatest thing for CSK’s players. He said:
“It is quite daunting if you’re a newcomer. It’s quite loud. The support is phenomenal. But, as you go on and play, then you realize they are MS Dhoni fans before they are CSK fans. It is quite evident, and rightly so, because that’s the way the team has been set up and built over the years. He’s rightly named Thala [leader] and he has been calling the shots in CSK, and it’s come to a stage where people are madly in awe and in love of what he’s done for CSK.”
Ambati Rayudu
“It’s been happening for quite a few years now… 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.”
Ambati Rayudu
MS Dhoni performed a swift dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav (29) through stumping when CSK played their opening match against MI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Dhoni batted twice in the chase for 156 runs against MI before he ended the match with four wickets to spare without scoring any runs.
“They have not built up any other guy to pull the crowds” – Rayudu on Dhoni’s significance for CSK
In the same interview with ESPNcricinfo, Rayudu expressed his opinion that once Dhoni retires from the IPL, the Chennai Super Kings could struggle to keep up their appeal. According to the former Hyderabad cricket player, CSK hasn’t developed a replacement who can relate to the supporters as “Thala” does, which could harm their brand’s future value. He continued:
“It will be quite challenging. Not only for the players or Chennai, but definitely for the franchise itself, because for them to [attract] crowds like that, especially even on weekdays – the stands are full, the engagement is amazing; there is no cricketer close to him, to be honest. They have not built up any other guy in the franchise to pull the crowds, because it has always revolved around MS Dhoni.”
Ambati Rayudu
MS Dhoni holds the position of the sixth highest run scorer in the IPL. The batter has scored 24 half-centuries and reached his highest run total of 84* in 265 games while averaging 39.12 and striking at 137.46 to amass 5,243 runs. The most number of IPL runs scored by Mahendra Singh Dhoni falls short of Virat Kohli (8,063), Shikhar Dhawan (6,769), Rohit Sharma (6,628), David Warner (6,525) as well as Suresh Raina (5,528).
