MS Dhoni Craze Harming CSK? Rayudu Says, "Internally, Lot Of People..."

MS Dhoni is no less than a god-like figure for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans. Over the years, Dhoni's name has been synonymous with CSK. Last season, even during the matches away the Chepauk, there were more CSK jerseys than that of the home team inside the stadium. All because of the Dhoni-factor. Ever since Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket, fans only get the chance to watch him play during the IPL as he does not play any other form of cricket.

However, former CSK batter Ambati Rayudu suggested that the fans in Chennai are Dhoni supporters first, adding that this "strange" obsession does not serve the franchise "well."

"It is quite strange, and I don't think it actually serves the game well. It is quite daunting if you're a newcomer. 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," Rayudu told ESPNCricinfo.

"He's rightly named Thala 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.

Rayudu also pointed out how the CSK fans often cheer when their players get out so that they can watch Dhoni bat. For the unversed, CSK fans were cheering the dismissals of their own players during the match against Mumbai Indians last week. Rayudu, a former CSK players, revealed that some of the players in the past have often found this behaviour from the fans quite strange.

"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," said Rayudu.

Rayudu suggested that only Dhoni can solve this problem, also urging the franchise to prepare for the time when the five-time IPL winning captain won't be around.

"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," he said.

"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. 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," he added.