In the lead-up to every match the Chennai Super Kings play, whether they have just lost again or bucked the trend, one question dominates: Is Thala fully fit and will he play? Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the wicketkeeper-batsman, is not missed, because it has been a while since the 44-year-old has been the kind of force that makes him an automatic selection.
And yet, the question with no answer is asked because most CSK fans cannot imagine their team without Dhoni. When the IPL came into being, the unlikeliest of adoptions happened.
In 2008, Dhoni was the best thing going in Indian cricket, and he had the rest of his playing career ahead of him to grow from strength to strength. The long hair, the motorbikes, and the legend of milk-guzzling made him 100 per cent marketable.
But what were the odds that a loyal son of Jharkhand would become the icon of cricket in Tamil Nadu, a conservative state steeped in tradition? It happened at once and slowly: Dhoni was welcomed and then made their own by CSK fans.
CSK assembling strong teams, sticking with the core and consistently making it to the Playoffs, on top of five titles — joint-highest with Mumbai Indians — ensured that even a two-year suspension (2016 and 2017) from the league did not dampen fans’ enthusiasm. Even the fact that Tamil Nadu’s cricketers never quite formed the backbone of the Chennai-based team, who take on Kolkata Knight Riders in Chepauk today, was overlooked.
But, in the last few years, something has changed. When Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket via an Instagram post in 2020, there was shock and uncertainty. And the firm conviction that he would still turn out for CSK as long as it was viable.
Dhoni’s case is unique in that he brings enough to the table as a tactician and senior pro to warrant a place in the XI despite diminishing personal returns, and his value to the franchise is immense beyond results on the field. To that end, it’s difficult to see a serious push from any quarter for him to be removed or step down.
This was partly because the team’s identity was so closely tied to Dhoni. It was not that fans did not realise that all good things had to come to an end. It was that they were not given a glimpse into an acceptable future.
That changed when Sanju Samson announced his arrival with a crisp 115. Sanju is another salt-of-the-earth cricketer, a pre-approved outsider with the mannerisms and blessings of Rajinikanth. Chennai fans will breathe easier now, and so will Dhoni, knowing that the future of the franchise is in safe hands.
100
No. of times MS Dhoni has stayed unbeaten in the IPL — the most by any player
243.22
MS Dhoni’s strike-rate in the final over of the IPL; the wicketkeeper-batter has amassed 844 off 347 balls
72
No. of sixes smashed by MS Dhoni in the final over of the IPL — the most by any player
201
No. of dismissals effected by MS Dhoni behind the stumps in the IPL (154 catches & 47 stumpings) — the most by a wicketkeeper
5439
No. of runs scored by MS Dhoni in 278 IPL games — the most by a ’keeper-batter
