CUDDALORE: Many Indians consider cricket as their religion and glorify their favourite player. One such a fan of MS Dhoni in Cuddalore has expressed his love for the cricketer by painting his images on the walls of his house. R Gobi Krishnan (30) of Arangur village near Tittagudi has painted his house in the thematic yellow colour to signify his favourite Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK). And, the paintings of MS Dhoni in CSK jersey adorn the walls.
At the entrance, the house reads #HOME_OF_DHONI_FAN. Krishnan was working in Dubai and returned home due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown. He expressed his disappointment of not being able to watch the IPL matches in person. Talking about what inspired him to come up with the unique tribute to the CSK captain, Krishnan said, “I had been planning to pay my respect and tribute to the legend in a novel way ever since he announced his retirement in August.
The IPL started and CSK managed to win only two out of seven matches. ‘Thala’ Dhoni’s performance was also disappointing. I noticed many fans lashing out at him. That was when I made up my mind to pay the tribute and show my affection towards the cricketer.” Krishnan said he was glad that none of his family members opposed his idea of painting the house in yellow with Dhoni’s paintings.
Though it was easy for him to finish painting the house in a few days, it took him 10 days to find an artist who could draw Dhoni’s face perfectly. “During my hunt for an artist, I found Selva from Tholudur, who manage to complete the painting in just three days. The entire work cost me `1.5 lakh, which I spent from my savings,” said Krishnan.
Commenting on the harsh criticisms that the cricketer is facing for his poor performance and the rape threats against his daughter, Krishnan said, “No one can give their full potential in every match or throughout their career. The fans should understand this. Those issuing threats must face criminal charges.”