An eternal bond stretched: for how much longer can CSK be Dhoni and Dhoni CSK?

‘Vandharai vazhaveikkum Chennai’ is a popular saying in Tamil. Elaborately translated, it means a Chennai that helps every visitor find a life. At times, the nomenclature Chennai is replaced with Tamil Nadu, just to reflect a State that has welcomed diverse communities to its shores, plains and hills.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni neatly ties into this overwhelming socio-anthropological narrative. Earlier, it was Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, famously known as Rajinikanth, who blended in. One a cricketer from Ranchi; the other a superstar, a Marathi with deep roots in Bengaluru. ‘Dhoni and Rajini’ sounds like a rhyme and slots into the Tamil language’s tonality.

Sense of ownership

There is a sense of ownership that fans in Chennai, and Tamil Nadu at large, exude towards their favourite icons. Years ago, Kamal Haasan emphatically said this about the great actor and comedian, Nagesh: “His roots may be Kannadiga, but he is ours, we won’t give him up.” If Kamal can say such a thing, you can imagine the random fan’s affection for his or her idol!

Truly, the macroscopic index highlights an indulgence towards the outsider, who then becomes a quintessential insider. Dhoni sails in that boat. Sport takes an athlete to various stages, largely a theatre of love where fine skills garner adulation irrespective of place of origin, accent, dialect, religion and bank-balance.

The symbiosis that Dhoni and Chennai share is unique. There was Lionel Messi and Barcelona. Yet at some point the great Argentine footballer moved on from FC Barcelona. Dhoni may not speak Tamil while Messi speaks Spanish, the language of the street in Barcelona and Buenos Aires, and yet the ties that bind Dhoni and Chennai through the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) connection are mighty strong.

If Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have remained fused right from the maiden Indian Premier League in 2008, Dhoni’s umbilical cord with CSK was once nipped briefly. The spot-fixing and betting scandal in 2013 and the subsequent inquiry led to the suspension of CSK during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

To be fair to Dhoni and his teammates, none of them were tainted with any whiff of corruption, but the franchise had to pay a price for the foibles of Gurunath Meiyappan, a key member in the franchise’s structure. Dhoni then turned out for Rising Pune Supergiant. But once the hiatus was lifted, he promptly returned to CSK in the 2018 season and won the championship.

In Tamil Nadu, where pop culture references mine the great comeback stories on celluloid, it was time to draw Dhoni into this world of hope, laughter and redemption. He became this messiah, doing the impossible, clouting helicopter sixes and winning titles, five at that.

Sporting and commercial colossus

This is a back-story that strengthened the Dhoni brand and stretched it towards the stratosphere from the Coromandel Coast. The fact that he led India to titles in the 2007 ICC World T20, 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy, all combined together to shape a sporting colossus gaining attention from corporates, brands and advertising firms.

In the commercial terrain of Indian cricket, the brand-equity that Sachin Tendulkar had was passed on to Dhoni and now this monetary heft resides with Kohli. But in the microscopic gaze centred on CSK, Dhoni is the all-pervading magnet. Decades ago, the Congress party had coined this slogan: “India is Indira, Indira is India.” It was an over-the-top tribute to late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi. A cricketing equivalent would be: “CSK is Dhoni, Dhoni is CSK.”

This seemingly eternal bond, besides the cultural increments that Dhoni has reaped from Tamil Nadu’s landscape, has also left CSK blinkered towards its leading star. Dhoni is 43 now, has dodgy knees despite a corrective surgery, and coach Stephen Fleming himself admitted that the former India captain cannot be sprinting at full tilt for more than 10 overs while batting.

Having retired from Tests in 2014, and from ODIs and T20Is in 2020, Dhoni has stretched his IPL career from 2008 to 2025. When the mid-to-late-thirties syndrome has caught up with Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja, Dhoni remains an outlier at 43. In the longevity sweepstakes, he and England’s James Anderson have carved out a unique path. The latter is still doing the rounds for Lancashire.

This season, however, the odd stray remark against Dhoni has been aired. Perhaps it forced Fleming to step out with his caveat. The lightning wicketkeeping reflexes behind the crease are still intact. But Dhoni’s primary card, besides his captaincy, has been his muscular batting.

Over the last few seasons, that ability has been revealed only in micro-cameos, if such a word can be used. In CSK’s recent clash against Lucknow Super Giants, Dhoni’s unbeaten 11-ball 26 sealed the game for his side. However, these knocks are becoming fewer and far between. Yes, he can clout mighty sixes, and, back as skipper after an injury ruled Ruturaj Gaikwad out, Dhoni remains mentally agile.

Only in flashes: Dhoni’s muscular batting has long been his calling card, but knocks such as his unbeaten 11-ball 26 against Lucknow Super Giants are becoming rarer and rarer. | Photo credit: Getty Images

Yet, Father Time has a way of getting even. Recent clips of Dhoni limping a bit set X (formerly Twitter) abuzz. It doesn’t help that CSK has had a poor start and even its fortress at Chennai, the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, has been breached. Leading and keeping for 20 overs and perhaps being able to bat for about 10 overs is now seen as the Dhoni template. And that would mean the other CSK players have to step up.

The ageism debate

In all this focus on Dhoni, it is a fact that the CSK bowlers have bled and its batters, especially the middle-order, have lacked thrust. But since Dhoni is seen as this conjurer of miracles, the scrutiny narrows in on him. It also triggers the ageism debate. The number 43 looms big and then the question arises: for how long?

There is the added economic query, as many brands ride piggyback on the afterglow that Dhoni bequeaths to CSK. Besides the cricket on offer, IPL is also seen as an investment venture for corporates and actors. Many years ago, when a franchise broke the bank for an ageing Yuvraj Singh, it was a decision largely governed by the pull he had on brands.

Very few legends in Indian cricket have bowed out at the apt time. Kapil Dev stretched his finish line and so did Tendulkar. For Dhoni and CSK, the threads that link them are incredibly strong, but in the rough world of sport and performance-metrics, sentiment may not entirely present a strong argument. But like turning throats hoarse for a Rajini flick in the theatres, cheering for Dhoni is a Chennai habit.

The last word would obviously belong to him, and it would be secretive. His Test retirement was a BCCI note, his overall India retirement was an Instagram post! CSK’s yellow brigade might say that’s his style. If ever there was a fandom that bordered on blind affection, this is it. It is also the cultural angle, as the outsider is now the insider.