Chennai were looking in trouble. After two wins on the trot, including a commanding victory against GT, they looked to be in trouble for the first time. In fact, they rarely looked to be in the game as Delhi commanded batting with their best opening pair performance. Though they relatively pulled it back at the end, Delhi posted a commanding 191. But it was a good surface to bat on and one would’ve expected Chennai to chase it. But if they had some hold on the match during their bowling, they never looked close from the get-go of their batting innings, losing both openers cheaply. Even though Rahane and Mitchell tried steadying they ship, they were barely trudging along. And after a spirited effort from Rahane came to a conclusion and CSK were running out of batters, they looked completely out of the game.
Visakhapatnam, though categorised as Delhi’s home ground, was filled with Chennai fans, unsurprising with the huge fan base paired with Visakhapatnam’s vicinity to Chennai. But they were found silenced through most of the match. But at a time when it was least expected, the atmosphere shifted. The crowd found their voice again, amid their team crumbling with the loss of another wicket as they found themselves 120/6 needing 72 in 23 balls. In such a dire situation, why was the crowd enthusiastic? The reason was legacy. The reason was pride. The reason, was Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
As he entered the field, the camera panned to gleeful Chennai fans. They finally had a reason to cheer for. And their joy was only going to be amplified as he smashed the first ball he faced in this edition of the IPL for a four. He was immediately dropped on the next ball, much to the delight of fans. There was a roar and life in the crowd now. And Dhoni did not disappoint in any way. His finishing pyrotechnics were nostalgic and evoked happiness in every one of his fans, and as he hit an unconventional six over covers, the camera panned to an emotional fan as she celebrated the presence of Mahi’s hitting prowess. This was a true embodiment of the fans’ emotions. They were succumbing to their first loss, but the fans didn’t care. Dhoni was out there, and he was fighting hard. Even though he was fighting a losing battle, he gave it his all, racing to 37 in just 16 at a staggering strike rate of 231.25.
Most fans didn’t mind this loss at all. After all, they’re CSK. What is one loss amid their relatively great start to the tournament. Seeing Dhoni out there made it all worth it. Cricket purists have been arguing for years about Dhoni pushing it too much and how he should’ve retired as he isn’t adding the value he used to when he was that famed finisher. They may be right, but at the end of the day, cricket is attached to the emotional hip of Indian fans, and nothing tugs at the emotional strings like seeing an idolised cricketer push himself to get his team across the line even at the age of 42. The legacy Dhoni has built both as a captain and as a player is incredible, and though it has been on the line recently, matches like this help one realise how important he is to fans everywhere.
