Kumar Bahukhandi
Dhoni – Photo : PTI
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is participating in IPL 2025 at the age of 43. He is playing as an uncapped player this time as it has been five years since he retired from international cricket.
The popularity of former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni can be gauged from the fact that fans wait for a long time to catch a glimpse of him. But former India and CSK batsman Ambati Rayudu believes that the fans’ craze for Dhoni is now turning into a harmful obsession which is not good for any other batsman.
Rayudu said- Spectators only want to see Dhoni’s batting
Rayudu said that the audience only wants to see their Thala batting. This former Chennai batsman believes that fans first support Dhoni and then CSK. Rayudu says that this may harm the branding of the team in the future as the team has always revolved around one player. It is known that Dhoni is participating in IPL 2025 as an uncapped player at the age of 43.
Rayudu said, this is a huge challenge for a new batsman. The support of the audience is unprecedented but when you go out to play, you realize that this support is for Mahendra Singh Dhoni before Chennai Super Kings. It is quite clear and right too because the team has been prepared in this way for the last few years. He has been rightly named Thala and he has left his mark on behalf of Chennai. People love him for what he has done for the Chennai team.
Left the command of CSK last year
Dhoni said goodbye to international cricket in 2020 and he also changed his batting order last year. Dhoni left the captaincy of CSK just before the IPL 2024 season and made Rituraj Gaikwad the captain of the team. Dhoni is coming to bat at number seven or eight and he gets to face only 10-15 balls in the match. Dhoni does not bat for long and hence the spectators wait for him eagerly and when he comes on the field the spectators get very excited.
Rayudu says that this has been happening for some time and some players are aware of this, but they cannot speak openly about it. Rayudu said, many players feel deep inside that the audience wants them to get out so that Dhoni can come to bat. We also want to see him bat, but this is very strange and honestly, I don’t think it is good for the game.
