Should he or should he not? Dhoni has yet again divided the cricket world down the middle. While we all agree that he is on his last legs, a majority has now started to feel that it is time to call it a day and turn to a mentor.
Some, however, and this includes a majority of CSK fans, just want to consume as much of their “Thala” as they possibly can. For them, a win or loss doesn’t matter, seeing Dhoni out there does. For them, he is a deity and you don’t judge god come what may.
Stephen Fleming, coach of eminence and pedigree, has kept it vague saying he has not spoken to Dhoni on retirement. And Dhoni himself had added to the mystery when he said he could continue to play for CSK even when he is on a wheelchair.
The straight question to ask is does Dhoni and CSK not know that he isn’t the same player anymore? That he isn’t capable of winning them games anymore? That his batting is best seen on Youtube with a rewind button? To think they don’t know is foolhardy. But then it seems none of this really matters. That’s the question to ask. Why? Why do they still want to push him to play?
And that leads to a counter question – How much of the CSK brand is actually dependent on MS Dhoni? How much sheen will the brand lose if MSD is not out there playing?
Has there ever been a major sports team in history so synonymous with one player as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and MS Dhoni? The only team that comes to mind are the Chicago Bulls. At one time, in the 1990s, it was impossible to go to any major city anywhere in the world without seeing either the Bulls cap, or their No. 23 jersey.
Before Michael Jordan came along, the Bulls had never even been to the NBA final. With him, they won it six times in the 1990s. Since he bid adieu to the United Center, after the last of those titles in 1998, the Bulls have missed the playoffs more often (14 times) than they’ve made it. Without him, they’re back to what they were before Jordan – middle-of-the-road franchise.
In the early years of the IPL, the Mumbai Indians (MI) too had a similar personality cult. If you went to their games, you wouldn’t see anything other than the iconic No. 10 jersey. But once Tendulkar exited the stage, MI didn’t make the mistake of having all their eggs in one basket. Sure, Rohit Sharma is an IPL legend, but Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav enjoy equal billing.
With CSK, the narrative has always tended to be about Dhoni and 10 others. And that’s the catch 22. They know that it has to come to an end at some point. But they also know it will impact the brand. What they don’t know is to what extent? MSD is their security valve. A sort of assurance. Of a full stadium. Of a sea of yellow, wherever he goes. He has taken the loss out of the equation so to ask that question is actually irrelevant.
The best we can do is to smile at the roar each time he steps out. For, logically, we can’t explain it anymore.
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