The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have ended their home leg in the league stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The Chennai fans are speculating, if CSK don’t make it to the playoffs, have they seen MS Dhoni, their beloved ‘Thala’, for one last in the yellow jersey, especially at home.
In 10 innings, the former CSK batter has nailed 136 runs at a strike rate 226.66. All the 11 sixes that have come off the bat of MS Dhoni have been cheered by the whole country. On every occasions on his arrival in the middle, the environment, especially in Chennai, is a spectacular one.
Even when MS Dhoni has taken a brilliant catch, or attempted a run-out, or made some changes in the field, the crowd has gone berserk in love and affection with the icon.
‘CSK fans are MS Dhoni fans first’- Ambati Rayudu
Former Chennai Super Kings batters and India player, Ambati Rayudu has been a vital member of the ‘five-time’ champions for the last six years, starting from the 2018 season.
Rayudu was the highest run-getter of the franchises and the fourth-highest of the tournament in 2018, with 602 runs at a strike rate of 149.75, with three fifties and one century. CSK earned their third IPL trophy in that year under the leadership of MS Dhoni.
While speaking on Star Sports ahead of CSK’s final game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Rayudu expressed that the Chennai Super Kings supports are MS Dhoni fans first, and then the fans of the franchise.
The middle order batter also revealed that most times when he used to play for the franchise, the crowd used to cheer for MS Dhoni, even when he and Ravindra Jadeja were batting in middle.
Even after them smashing the ball for boundaries and over boundaries, the electrifying atmosphere will continue only for the ‘Captain Cool’.
“Even when you hit a six and a four, the crowd is silent,” Rayudu claimed on Star Sports. “Me and (Ravindra) Jadeja felt that in the last few years.”
“I really believe when I say this, that CSK fans are MS Dhoni fans first, and CSK fans later,” Rayudu remembered. “Even Jadeja gets frustrated, but he can’t do anything.”
There were occasions when after fall of the fourth of fifth wicket, the crowd use to give a huge cheer for MS Dhoni to make an appearance, but as they see other batters coming out, the voice used to get decreased.
MS Dhoni has taken the ‘Whistle Podu’ team to five IPL trophies, besides scoring 4644 runs at a strike rate of close to 135 with 22 half centuries. His incredible cameos in the last two overs of the game has turned the game in CSK’s favor in most times.
The veteran is yet to reveal whether it would be his last season. But at the start of the tournament, giving the leadership duties to an young Ruturaj Gaikwad, he has passed the baton for the future of the Chennai Super Kings.
The CSK side are at the third position in the points table of the IPL 2024, with seven wins in 13 games, at a net run rate of +0.528. Their last league stage game of the season is against the RCB side on May 18, 2024 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.