“He is in the hotel watching the team.” That was Chennai Super Kings (CKS) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s response at the toss on Saturday, when asked about Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s availability as CSK took on Delhi Capitals (DC) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
It has been that kind of a season for the five-time champions. Their biggest star and icon — who fills stadiums across the country on his own accord at 44 — is yet to play a match. Having been down with a calf strain, he was out of action for two weeks. However, in the lead-up to the season, one could see Dhoni training and hitting big sixes as he always does, but not in front of fans. Not so far, at least.
This, coupled with losing the first three games — CSK ended the losing run with a 23-run win against DC on Saturday — meant that the buzz around Chennai’s home games was different. Not low, but rather different. Tickets are easier to get than in the past. There are new stars, some of them, like Sanju Samson, who feel at home and have already been embraced as one of their own by the Chennai crowd. Sanju too, repaid the faith with a sensational century on Saturday. But, not being able to see Dhoni is a big deal for some fans.
Preetham A, a college student from Bengaluru, came for his first match here in hopes of watching Dhoni play. “My first priority is to watch him play. I feel that if he plays, then the stadium will be full. I saw videos of him practising in the nets on Instagram, and got my tickets on Friday morning via a verified online vendor,” he said before CSK took the field at Chepauk.
Though the question comes up every single season, it is obvious that the end of the road may now be closer than ever. “It looks likely this season is his last. That is why I am trying to get a glimpse of him one time before he retires,” Preetham added.
Bharath Sathya, a regular at Chepauk, brought his family from Puducherry, hoping to see CSK win their first match of the season. And he did, as CSK got their first couple points of the season. Rajasaab, who travelled along with Sathya, said, “I have watched matches on TV, and I had come here hoping that Dhoni would play.”
Both Preetham and Sathya felt the crowd may be different in a post-Dhoni era. Even people who work around the venue believe the crowd hasn’t been the same in his absence. “I think he will continue his association with the franchise by either being a coach or an advisor. People still believe that he will play for some more time. We hope he switches into a coach soon,” Sathya said. “I can consider (travelling to watch them play) but not try too hard for a ticket,” Preetham sang from the same hymn sheet, but with a caveat. He felt Sanju could be the star who could keep fans glued in. “He can be that player who can pull crowds. If he brings success to this franchise, I can consider coming,” he said just hours before Sanju scored a brilliant hundred that set the stage alive.
Despite three successive losses and Dhoni’s absence, numbers show that fans still fill the stands for the franchise. In their first home game, more than 31,000 fans showed up for the five-time winners (approximate capacity around 33,000). Saturday saw more than 32,000 fans witness the Super Kings’ first win of the season. Dhanush Prabhu, an IT employee based in Pallavaram, was one of them. He felt the fans’ energy was still vibrant even without Dhoni in the field. “Everyone wants to have a glimpse of Dhoni. I don’t deny there is hype for a particular individual, but that doesn’t mean the fan count for supporting the franchise has come down,” said Dhanush.
The win on Saturday, and an expected return of Dhoni in the weeks to come, could just be what the franchise and fans needed to turn things around this season.