It’s MS Dhoni’s world, and we are living in it.

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India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) giant is perhaps the most enormous cricketing personality since the great Sachin Tendulkar, and the roar the home crowd (in IPL) makes upon his arrival at the crease is a testament to it. Dhoni is CSK, and CSK is Dhoni, and his former teammate Ambati Rayudu doesn’t think otherwise.

Ahead of Chennai’s marquee home game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2025 on Friday night, Rayudu talks about the energetic CSK crowd known for producing the loudest noise ever heard on a cricket field. It’s intimidating for someone coming over to the venue (Chepauk in Chennai) for the first time, but it’s phenomenal (to feel), Rayudu reckons.

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Rayudu, who played for several seasons under MS Dhoni, winning three IPL titles with them (2018, 2021 and 2023), feels Dhoni is rightly being called ‘Thala’ (leader) for what he did at CSK and what he brings to the table. Rayudu admits the fans are madly in love with the former Indian and CSK captain and come in abundance to cheer for him first and then the team.

"It is quite daunting if you're a newcomer," Rayudu said in a chat with 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,” he added.

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The other side of it

There’s always another side to everything, and CSK fans cheering the stadium out for MS Dhoni comes with its set of cons. 

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Who doesn’t want to watch MS Dhoni bat? Perhaps everyone; however, since he comes late down the order, his time only comes when most of the batting order is back in the hut, with the strangest part being the fans cheer after a CSK wicket falls only to see MS Dhoni walk out and bat and hit sixes.

Rayudu feels it doesn’t set a nice example for the game, and considering everyone in the side gives their 100%, the home fans must not cheer for a CSK batter’s wicket to watch MS Dhoni play in the middle. 

"It's been happening for quite a few years now, and quite a few players have felt it over the years, you know, if not come out openly and said something about it, but internally, a lot of people used to feel that the crowd… 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 sacrifices 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.

(With inputs from agencies)