Dhoni's absence leaves Chennai fans heartbroken

This unremarkable restaurant in the heart of Nungambakkam operated a full house in the evenings on Chennai Super Kings match days for almost two months. Watching live action on TV would transform it into a hip restaurant serving a diverse clientele.

The excitement persisted even on days when the home team wasn't playing. It wasn't only restricted to home games. When CSK was still playing in the IPL in 2024, the restaurant was overflowing.

Since that tragic evening in Bangalore, things have abruptly taken a sharp decline. They longed for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to have won that game in order to advance them to the playoffs.

The vibrant city is in grief over the loss of the home franchise. Beyond all language difficulties, the city's cricket enthusiasts are enthralled with Dhoni.

Given that Thala is a once-in-a-generation player, they don't create many of these leaders. Disregarding the local and cultural indicators, this traditional city consistently shows him love without prompting him, connecting deeply with the average person.

Cricket's unwavering nonconformist, Dhoni, has acknowledged a "emotional connect" with the team. The common man has been able to connect Dhoni with his hardships and his desire for achievement, so it's not only about records.

When it comes to selecting its heroes, Chennai has shown less local pride. MG Ramachandran and Rajinikanth are two examples. More than his accomplishments, Dhoni's popularity has been fueled by his acceptance of the average person and his kind grin, according to the restaurant's owner, Venkadesan. "He's not arrogant about his situation. He and the ground crew frequently have a cup of tea. That is modesty.

Not even the postseason has been able to rekindle popular enthusiasm and interest. It hasn't been appealing to see local boys Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy compete against Sunrisers Hyderabad for the Kolkata Knight Riders in Sunday's championship match. The IPL in Thala-land won't be the same without its biggest draw.

"Everyone adores him," Clearly. Venkadesan attempted to mimic the helicopter shot with his hand. "How else would you explain the fans swarming the Chepauk stadium just to get a glimpse of their Thala batting in the nets last year?" he said.

There is still a strong conviction that he will honor his promise to return to the city the following year to play his final game at the Chepauk. However, there are rumors that he is unwilling to spend their IPL money by becoming one of the retained players because of the upcoming super auction.

Despite the operation, he has already had to postpone his batting order debut this season due to a worrisome knee. The team management has delegated the task of answering calls to Dhoni because of his lasting reputation and brand value.

Juvenile hero Rajinikanth is frequently compared to him, primarily due to their similar upbringings. Dhoni, a ticket collector at Kharagpur Railway Station, was born and nurtured in undivided Bihar, in Ranchi, before he earned a name for Jharkhand in cricket. Rajini, a Maharashtrian by birth, grew up in Karnataka and worked as a bus conductor. Similar like Rajini, Dhoni is revered by a city that is very dissimilar from his hometown.

Supporters of CSK don't think that Dhoni can get older. While they take Rajini's flops with grace, others still speak about Dhoni's ill-advised hit in the final over against RCB. The supporters think he is still capable of playing for another season because he was able to deliver the longest delivery of the contest, which was 110 meters, off the previous delivery.

The ball could have gone to CSK if it hadn't been altered after it touched the stadium roof. At the restaurant, Murali, a Dhoni enthusiast, bemoaned that Dayal had a better grip because the ball was drier.

Dhoni's inability to speak Tamil hasn't stopped the people of the state from showing him how much they care. It took a long time to happen and will always be there.

His availability for a second season is still a source of suspense, and the public isn't quite ready to say "romba nandri" (thank you). They think the program will go on.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.