LEGEND MS DHONI: Born for the Indian Premier League, ‘Thala’ Dhoni

Tennis fans call Rohan Bopanna, Level 45. If the same analogue is used, MS Dhoni can be called Level 44. The difference, one plays tennis and the other cricket. As the Indian Premier League (IPL) fever catches on, it’s news from all the franchises which are flooding media and social media. Thala, King in Tamil, Dhoni still is a big draw. From the time he lands at the airport in Chennai and makes his way to the Chepauk, his home away from home, Dhoni is King.

It’s a romance story where there is no last chapter, Dhoni plus Chennai Super Kings. One would have thought with Young Turks coming into play, a retired star like Dhoni would become less important. No, the craze refuses to go as Dhoni is still a rage, a chant, a crowd puller. In terms of fitness, he slogs all year long just to prepare for these two hard months of the IPL. He has given up captaincy, on his own. Still, the CSK franchise owners will not let Dhoni go. He is like a lucky talisman, a locket, which they won’t let go of. If they had their way, Dhoni would be worn like a locket around the neck.

Dhoni has preserved himself for the IPL. More than four years after he retired from international cricket and handed over captaincy to Virat Kohli, Dhoni has tried hitting the ‘sleep mode’ button. Left to him, he would like to be just his own self and do stuff which does not pertain to cricket. No, CSK and Chennai at large will not let MS go away. He continues to be present, even as captaincy is now handled by Ruturaj Gaikwad. It’s crazy, this club cricket thing. Someone like Sachin Tendulkar is happy to be playing the International Masters League, where he again showcased his fitness and produced authentic cricket strokes like the upper cut and the bullet straight drive which thudded into the billboards.

Sachin is older than Dhoni but if he turned up to play Masters cricket, it is not just for fun. Sachin has played cricket all his life in sincerity and with all seriousness. So, Dhoni, too uses the IPL to appear each year. There is one question raised each year, will Dhoni retire after this edition of the IPL. Yawn, we have heard that question so many times, Dhoni leaving the IPL. He may want to just put his feet up and relax, but the IPL will not him go. He will have to play as long as his body permits. Fans relate to Dhoni when they see him on the field. They still think he should win matches with his fierce hitting. No, that’s tough, though, with just his experience, he can make so much difference. One of the most fierce and brainy wicket-keepers India has ever produced, Dhoni is still an asset. His reflexes were sharp till last year. After all, in one year, it is but natural, he will slow down marginally. But then, given Dhoni’s fitness mantras and how he looks still so fresh, it will be a gift to see him play in the IPL.

Sample this, in Saudi club football, CR7 – Cristiano Ronaldo – still plays up front and scores goals. He makes a huge pile of money and lives like a King. He is too big in Saudi Arabia and will not leave soon. In contrast, if you look at MS Dhoni, he is not in the IPL for money he gets at the auction as an uncapped player. Truth be told, MS Dhoni is part of CSK, in a business sense as well.