NEW DELHI : It was just past 3 pm. The temperature was a harsh 40 degrees Celsius. With the sun beating down, and humidity as well, the heat felt far oppressive. Unmindful, two fans dressed in a yellow No. 7 jersey were spotted on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. Both were walking towards the Kotla ground like moths towards a flame. The CSK-RR game, scheduled to begin at 7.30 pm, was still over four hours away.
It’s the power of being Mahendra Singh Dhoni. His relationship with CSK fans is one of the most enduring love stories of modern sport. And it is a pan-India phenomenon. Virat Kohli too can convert most stadiums across India into a home ground for his team. He is a serving international though. For someone who retired from international cricket five years ago, MSD’s unceasing ability to get jerseys on the back and bums on the seat would make any rock star envious.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!On Tuesday, it became increasingly evident as time rolled by. What started as a trickle slowly turned into a bustle. Yellow emerged as the dominant colour on the street. Seven was the only number on every CSK back.
Before the game, CSK stood last in the IPL 2025 table. But every defeat this IPL season has made it even more apparent that Dhoni fans do not see this relationship through the prism of his performance with the bat. It is the memory of the 5 titles that CSK won under his leadership that’s hardwired into their hearts.
It makes him performance-proof. “My love for him has nothing to do with the number of runs he scores,” says software developer Vikash Purbey in a Dhoni tee. And Kailash Chand Jain, who sells IPL jerseys across north Indian cities hosting IPL, says Dhoni still sells more shirts than any player, barring Kohli.
On Tuesday too, the Kotla stands were largely an enthusiastic sea of yellow. A poster said, “Abhi na jao chhod kar, ke dil abhi bhara nahi.”
Who's that IPL player?That probably is the everlasting emotion of many CSK fans.
Get IPL 2025 match schedules, squads, points table, and live scores for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
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