By Tushar Bhaduri
Whether it’s Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, or Lucknow – not to mention his beloved second home Chennai – Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been getting a rapturous ovation wherever he has gone during the ongoing Indian Premier League season.
There is a widespread belief that the 2023 edition would be Dhoni‘s last, though the man himself is intent on maintaining the suspense in that regard. “So you have decided that this is my last (season)?” Dhoni gently rebuked Danny Morrison during the toss in Lucknow on Wednesday, when the former New Zealand pacer mentioned the word ‘swansong’ in the brief interaction.
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But like with almost everything that Dhoni says or does, it was delivered with a smile. And that’s a big part of his charm. There are players with more impressive career statistics, more runs, or longer career spans. But though his career achievements as a player and captain are significant enough, that hardly explains the unrestrained love shown to the icon, and the sea of yellow at every venue he goes to runs counter to the home-and-away format of the league and the city-based rivalries on which it’s supposed to be based. In fact, love and admiration for him could be the great unifier as it unites fans of all teams. It has reached a level where even if two CSK batsmen are going hammer and tongs, the crowd – at all centres- wishes for a wicket to fall so that Dhoni could come out.
Surnames are not always a sign of endearment, but the word ‘Dhoni’ when uttered by his fans denotes affection. To the fans in the stands or those watching on the screens, and even seasoned players, he is ‘Mahi Bhai’ or just ‘MS’, even though most of them don’t know him personally. He is, of course, Thala to the CSK faithful, who pack Chepauk just to see him, even during a training session or an intra-squad practice game.
Man behind the icon
Captain Dhoni won the 50-over World Cup, Champions Trophy, and the inaugural World T20, besides taking India to the top of the Test rankings. His prowess as a finisher, no matter how steep the asking rate, is embellished by the World Cup-winning six at the Wankhede Stadium. And the advice he provides to bowlers from behind the stumps is the stuff of cricketing folklore, as are the speed of his gloves and his proficiency with the Decision Review System. But the emotions he generates among his legion of fans have more to do with the person he comes across as. That’s the reason why after every match, there is a crowd of young, and even experienced, cricketers around Dhoni to gain from his pearls of wisdom. And the legend is there responding to each and every query, for however long it takes. His humility and down-to-earth nature, in contrast to several other top cricketers, is what endears him to the common fan. Success has not gone to his head and he doesn’t take the adulation as an entitlement, thanking his supporters at every opportunity.
Another reason for Dhoni’s unprecedented popularity is his stoic nature – how he deals with adversities and low phases in his life and career, and there have been many.
The twin 0-4 debacles in 2011-12 in England and Australia, sandwiching the home series reversal against the English – India’s only home Test series loss since 2004 till date – and the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal, that led to a two-year suspension for CSK, can be termed two of the lowest points of his career.
But even though he was targeted by some in both cases, his image remained intact. He made no secret of being pained by the CSK suspension, and at a time when some players lose count of the number of franchises they play for, his loyalty shone through. He never pointed fingers or blamed anyone. The tears when he returned to CSK in 2018 only added to his aura and the team’s title triumph that year was one of the most popular across the country.
Even while suffering those clean sweeps during his captaincy tenure, Dhoni never lost his cool during media interactions, always remaining cordial and friendly, in contrast to his immediate successor. Some may call this attitude negative or fatalistic, but Dhoni knew that sometimes circumstances are beyond control – what has to happen, will happen.
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Enjoy while it lasts
CSK must have started preparing for life after Dhoni, regardless of whether he plays another IPL season. But a huge part of the brand loyalty that the franchise enjoys is due to Thala, and the owners would like to keep him involved in some capacity – even as a team mentor so that he can travel with the team and be seen at the ground in a yellow jersey.
And now that IPL franchises have spread their wings to different parts of the world, buying teams in various franchise leagues, there is an opportunity for CSK to leverage Dhoni’s immense popularity overseas.
But as far as fans in India are concerned, it’s time to savour watching one of the greats in action during the next three weeks. Only he will know if we will get another chance.