Ambati Rayudu expressed concerns about CSK fans prioritizing MS Dhoni over the team, suggesting it may affect the franchise in the long run.
MS Dhoni’s iconic status among Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans has made him synonymous with the franchise. Even during away matches last season, the stadiums were filled with CSK jerseys, highlighting the “Dhoni factor.” Since his retirement from international cricket, fans only get to see him in action during the IPL, making the craze for Dhoni even stronger.
However, former CSK batter Ambati Rayudu believes this intense fan devotion to Dhoni may not benefit the team. Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Rayudu said, “It is quite strange, and I don’t think it actually serves the game well. 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 realise 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.”
Rayudu also acknowledged Dhoni’s influence on the team, adding, “He’s rightly named Thala 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.”
Fans cheer dismissals to watch Dhoni bat
Rayudu pointed out an unusual trend where CSK fans cheer when their own batters get out, just to witness Dhoni come to the crease. He cited an incident from CSK’s recent match against Mumbai Indians, where fans cheered for wickets, hoping to see Dhoni bat. Rayudu noted that many players have privately found this behaviour from the crowd “quite strange.”
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“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,” Rayudu revealed.
Rayudu urges MS Dhoni to address the situation
Rayudu suggested that Dhoni himself is the best person to address this situation and ease the pressure off the other players. “The best person who can address that is MS Dhoni himself. If he comes out and says, ‘they are all our players, and just like me batting they are batting in the middle,’ or something like that to soothe the crowd, it will be great for the players,” he said.
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Rayudu also cautioned CSK about the challenges they might face once Dhoni retires from IPL. He emphasized the need for the franchise to build a new star to attract the same kind of crowd.
“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. That might come back to maybe bite them in terms of branding or getting the crowds in. So they will have to really think out of the box to make something happen,” Rayudu added.
