Why Chennai’s Dhoni obsession could hurt CSK in the future, Ambati Rayudu explains

After finishing their IPL 2025 game against Mumbai Indians with a six and an unbeaten MS Dhoni at the non-striker’s end, Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Rachin Ravindra was subject to hate from an unlikely corner on social media – from CSK fans themselves. The online trolls took to Ravindra’s social media accounts, hurling abuses for not giving back the strike to their ‘Thala’ to close out the game amidst a raucous crowd at the MA Chidambaram Stadium last Sunday.
Former CSK batter Ambati Rayudu came out to question this strange Dhoni obsession from the Chepauk crowd that has, over the years, built a name to appreciate good cricket and is known to be “knowledgeable” of the game, irrespective of the sides involved. “It is quite strange, and I don’t think it actually serves the game well,” Rayudu told ESPNcricinfo.
“It is quite daunting if you’re a newcomer,” Rayudu ESPNcricinfo. “It’s quite loud. The support is phenomenal. But, as you go on and play, then you realise they are MS Dhoni fans before they are CSK fans. It is quite evident, and rightly so, because that’s the way the team has been set up and built over the years. He’s rightly named Thala [leader] and he has been calling the shots in CSK, and it’s come to a stage where people are madly in awe and in love of what he’s done for CSK.
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“It’s been happening for quite a few years now, and quite a few players have felt it over the years. Even though we also love MS Dhoni, and they also love MS Dhoni and we want to see him bat, but sometimes when you, as an individual, are going out to bat they are shouting from the crowd to… literally asking you to get out. Or they are anticipating or expecting you to get out.
“So it is quite strange, and I don’t think it actually serves the game well to be very honest. All the [other] players are giving their best for the team as well. They are also preparing and doing really well for the franchise, and they have put in a lot of sacrifice to be where they are. When things like that happen from their own crowd, it is, I feel, maybe it can be avoided,” Rayudu added.
‘Dhoni obsession will come back to bite CSK’
Rayudu added that the fan mania can only be best addressed Dhoni and cautioned Super Kings about a future where their talismanic ‘Thala’ will not be present on the field anymore.
“The best person who can address that is MS Dhoni himself. “If he comes out and says, ‘they are all our players, and just like me batting they are batting in the middle’, or something like that to soothe the crowd, it will be great for the players.”Story continues below this ad
“It will be quite challenging. Not only for the players or Chennai, but definitely for the franchise itself, because for them to [attract] crowds like that, especially even on weekdays – the stands are full, the engagement is amazing; there is no cricketer close to him, to be honest,” Rayudu said. “They have not built up any other guy in the franchise to pull the crowds, because it has always revolved around MS Dhoni.
“That might come back to maybe bite them in terms of branding or getting the crowds in. So they will have to really think out of the box to make something happen.”