Dhoni’s fandom is known to everyone in world cricket and it just peaks during the Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons. Last year, fans swarmed stadiums all over India amid rumours of MS Dhoni’s retirement.
On the night of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) versus Gujarat Titans (GT) final, fans waited till the very end to hear MS Dhoni speak about his future plans before lifting the trophy. Much to the surprise and delight of everyone, Dhoni vowed to return for one more season.
With the IPL 2024 just a couple of weeks away, fans are once again all excited to watch Dhoni in action for one final time expectedly. JioCinema experts Parthiv Patel, RP Singh and Suresh Raina have talked about the fandom of MS Dhoni ahead of the season.
Parthiv Patel has shortlisted three moments which stands apart in the history of Indian cricket due to the involvement of fans. “There have been three instances of fans showing this kind of love for players. In 2011 when we won the ODI World Cup.
“Then, when Sachin Tendulkar retired in 2013, the entire ground waited to hear his farewell speech. And last year whenever MS Dhoni played in Chennai, not a single fan would leave until his interview was over,” Patel told in an episode of Legends Lounge, JioCinema.
RP Singh, JioCinema IPL expert, on why MS Dhoni’s fan-following shot up during TATA IPL 2023. “Last year, the fan-following he witnessed was beyond my understanding. Maybe, that’s because it’s been built over the years. MS has performed incredibly for CSK since the beginning and has led them to multiple trophies.
“Last year, people thought that it might be his last year as an active player, and it might be their final chance to see him play live. That may have caused a 25 to 30% increase in his fan-following. The moment he wore his pads last year, our viewership increased,” RP Singh said.
Suresh Raina, JioCinema IPL expert, on whether he’s seen any player previously who had a fan-following like Dhoni. “Absolutely, I saw Sachin Tendulkar receive this kind of love when we first came into the Indian team. That love was showered on Mahi bhai by Indian fans thereafter. ‘MSD, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’ the name alone is embedded in people’s hearts.”
RP Singh on Dhoni’s interest in appreciation from fans. “I remember this team meeting a long time ago in 2006-2007 when we spoke about what drives players to perform. At that time, MS said, ‘When I get off a bus, I feel like two people are looking at me. When will those two turn to four and when will the four turn to 40? My passion for the game is because I want to play for the fans. I want the fans to see that MS Dhoni hits shots like this.”
Parthiv Patel on why No.7 and No. 10 are the two jerseys retired by BCCI. “Look at the two jerseys retired by the BCCI. One is the No. 7 and the other is the No. 10. It shows that Dhoni isn’t just a player, he’s an emotion. The way he connects with people, whenever he meets people anywhere, he’ll talk to them as respectfully as possible. Only after doing all of this, you can create the aura that makes everybody love you.”
Catch all the live action from the TATA IPL 2024 – Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 22, 2024, Friday, 8:00 PM onwards, LIVE & Exclusive on JioCinema
Mykhel Staff Mykhel
source: mykhel.com