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Ambati Rayudu believes that the Chennai crowd's obsession with seeing MS Dhoni bat during games might intimidate other players and is detrimental to the game. With good reason—he has been a franchise symbol for the last 18 seasons—the chants "Dhoni, Dhoni" are audible throughout games at Chepauk. But in recent seasons, the fans' obsession with seeing the CSK legend has occasionally led them to enthusiastically shout for their star to be dismissed. During the 2023 season, Ravindra Jadeja made a statement about this, and Rayudu believes that the CSK fans are primarily Dhoni fans.
Ambati Rayudu on MS Dhoni
As the other players feel the heat due to their adulation for the former Indian captain, the former CSK player expressed his opinion that Dhoni's mania is a little odd. Rayudu believes that since the other players are shown their dedication to the team, such circumstances may be avoided.
"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. 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," Rayudu told ESPNcricinfo.
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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, 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 sacrifice to be where they are. When things like that happen from their own crowd, it is, I feel, maybe it can be avoided," he added.
Rayudu believes that as CSK has not developed a replacement talent to draw large crowds to IPL games, Dhoni's retirement could be a difficult time for the team.
"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," Rayudu said.
