MS Dhoni: The Wanderer Who Found Home in Chennai

“I’m more like a wanderer. My parents come from Uttar Pradesh, it was initially UP and then it became Uttarakhand. I was born in Ranchi, which was in Bihar, and later on became Jharkhand. I got my job at the age of 18 in Bengal’s Kharagpur. And then I came to Chennai!”

– Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Chennai Super Kings, the joint-most successful team in the long-fabled history of the biggest T20 franchise league, has always been more than a cricketing side since its inception in 2008.

With each passing year, the most consistent side in the cash-rich BCCI flagship product has revolutionized the sport and the event like no other side could fathom and has become inexplicably intertwined with the customs and livelihood of the city’s lively crowd, who hold the yellow close to their heart.

And the Chennai Super Kings are synonymous with two things: first, as already mentioned, consistency, and second, this one we are much prouder of, ‘Thala’ (Chief) Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The undoubted insignia of the team and, more notably, the city itself.

Pick up any piece of literature or art bidding to present a verbal or graphical account of the city home to the famous Marina Beach in the past decade and a half, and it will not be devoid of authoritative imagery of MSD draped in bright yellow and watching the ball float over the cow corner in style.

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Such is the confluence and synergy between the people of the city, their dreams, their aspirations and the team and the enigmatic skipper, who helps translate their desires into reality.

A T20 franchise in conservative Test-loving TN!

“You know a lot of times you have a mentality where you want your team to do well but not the opponent. But that was never the case in Chennai.

Sachin Paaji got one of the best ovations whenever he walked into the ground while playing for Mumbai Indians at Chennai. That is the love and the understanding of the game, when it comes to Tamil Nadu fans.”

-Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Chennai is essentially a conservative city in the Southern part of the nation, primarily comprised of cricket purists with an inclination towards the classic five-day Test format of the game.

Home to one of the oldest recorded languages in human existence and a harbour to certain relics from the Paleolithic unearthed for the first time in Asia, **

The affinity towards ‘classical’ cricket seems only natural recollecting the venue of the first ever Ranji Trophy game ever played. The event held in honor of Gujarati royalty Ranjith Singh, witnessed the fixture between Madras and Mysore in 1934.

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The landmark stadium also served as the venue when India registered their first-ever Test win over England, muzzling the colonial English masters by 8 runs. The victory at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Madras entered cricketing folklore as it played the perfect host to the watershed moment.

The cultural significance of the win cannot be understated, as it symbolized the resurrection of a new nation post-independence and a rite of passage in the enviable Test record of the country, especially at home.

The sprawling stadium established in 1916 and named after the former BCCI president, Madras Cricket Association Chief and City Mayor, has also proven to be a happy hunting ground for some of the most illustrious names in the celebrated annals of the sport such as Sunil Gavaskar, who surpassed Sir Don George Bradman’s record of 29 Test tons in Chennai, Viru Paaji’s swashbuckling 319 against a star-studded South African bowling attack, the ground where Rahul Dravid scaled mount 10k, and of course MS Dhoni’s highest Test score of 224.

The city’s love for the game was made abundantly clear by the raucous ovation showered upon the nation’s heated rival, Pakistan, following their landmark win over the home nation back in the year 1999.

Outside the confines of the pitch, cinema has always reigned supreme at the top of the entertainment charts for the city steeped in rich culture, history and tradition, so much so that it is home to the most number of thespians to have become chief ministers, but the passion for the gentleman’s game has the distinction of going toe-to-toe for the mantle.

So, when MS Dhoni was unanimously crowned as the skipper of the side from Madras, a video of the Ranchi-born skipper emulating the biggest superstar in the history of Indian cinema, Rajinikanth, caught the fancies of the adoring fanbase. Right from the get-go, ever since the captain bellowed ‘Yem Yes Dhoni, From Chennai’, and tossed a straw to his lips in Rajni’s bespoken style he was one of ours.

And there began Mahi’s metamorphosis into Thala Dhoni and his ascendance to demi-god status.

Back during the conception phase of IPL, the tournament that has become a cultural phenomenon and helped the BCCI assert its position of dominance on the world stage, ace industrialist N Srinivasan, who was the treasurer of the BCCI back then, felt the altruistic need for the cricket-loving populace of Tamil Nadu to not miss out on franchise cricket.

As new and unexplored as the franchise model was for the Indian Cements Managing Director, the veteran magnate wrote to then BCCI President Sharad Pawar requesting permission to bid for a franchise at the famous MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk. Despite initial doubt from the upper echelons of the successful brand, which has played a pivotal role in the development of the game for over six decades (Yes! India Cements has supported the sport like no other), Srinivasan held steadfast in his belief and was greatly rewarded for it as CSK went on to define the success of the T20 over tournament.

The 6-Crore Bargain and the yellow conscription!

“As far as Chennai is concerned, the association started in 2008 in IPL. But it started well before that in other formats, one of the most memorable being my Test Debut, which was in Chennai.

I never knew I would be picked by CSK. I was in the auction and I got picked, it gave me an opportunity to understand a culture which was very different from where I came from.”

-Mahendra Singh Dhoni

The inaugural T20 World Cup-winning skipper went on to scale even greater heights including the most coveted prizes- the ICC ODI World Cup in 2011 and the ICC Test Mace in 2009, after beginning his journey alongside CSK as the most expensive buy at the auction ahead of the pilot edition of the twenty over extravaganza. A mind-bending 1.5 million US Dollars-roughly 6 Crore Indian Rupees.

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However, just like education or health (Yes! Two of the highly-regarded things down south), the purchase of the stoic and tranquil leader proved to be an investment that paid dividends. So much so that the city circles call it a bargain, and considering the astronomical figures IPL sides shell out for players these days, even taking into consideration the substantial levels of inflation over the past decades, the streets do not lie.

When the revolutionary idea initially created a massive buzz around the nation, the concept of the icon players spiced things up. Mumbai Indians had their very own Sachin Tendulkar, the best player to ever have wielded the willow. Kolkata Knight Riders had the much-heralded Prince, Sourav ‘Dada’ Ganguly. Capital city Delhi had Virender Sehwag. Kings XI Punjab had the maverick Yuvraj Singh and even Royal Challengers Bangalore had Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid – have your pick, both of them have circles in the city named after them.

Amid the stormy fanfare, Chennai, the place that produced a World Cup winner in Krishnamachari Srikanth, was at a dearth of star power in terms of homegrown talent.

And not even the bravest would have imagined that the city from South India could manage to rope in the World Cup-winning national skipper to don their strip. However, in true MS-style of going against the odds, Chennai managed to bring the man in to lead the ‘Yellow Army’.

It wasn’t a stroll in the park as every franchise wanted to recruit the national hero and were ready to shell out an arm and a leg for the man who re-asserted India’s position of prominence in world cricket.

Mumbai and Rajasthan were all in the race to grab the much sought-after signature in the auction list and the price was getting more and more ridiculous with every rise of the paddle.

A million was up for the wicketkeeper-batter and the bids kept rolling in as the auctioneer’s voice increased a decibel with each raising bid from the cash-rich pockets of the eight tables present.

However, auction dynamics are a funny thing and most people tend to play the sides instead of the game. This time around a faint sleight of hand from the then CSK think tank managed to strike gold. Chennai remained quiet for a round at 1.4 million USD before chiming back in at 1.5 million as noises from all other camps drained out.

Once, Twice and Thrice and just like that Chennai had got their icon. The skipper was one of us and has officially begun his journey into Madras folklore.

Following the success of the MSD pick, Chennai went on to strengthen their ranks with the likes of huge names in the world of cricket including the legendary spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan, maverick Australian opener Matthew Hayden, Michael ‘Mr. Cricket’ Hussey, Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming, and his compatriot the tall Jacob Oram. South Africa seamer Makhaya Ntini and fan favourite Albie Morkel were also picked up, while Sri Lankan Chamara Kapugedera also made the cut.

The Indian contingent representing the yellow pride for the very first time included our very own ‘Chinna Thala’ Suresh Raina, Subramaniam Badrinath, Abhinav Mukund, Anirudha Srikkanth, Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, Arun Karthik, Selvam Suresh Kumar, Napoleon Einstein, Parthiv Patel, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Joginder Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sudeep Tyagi, Palani Amarnath, Shadab Jakati, Manpreet Gony and Viraj Kadbe.

Kepler Wessels, the first man to represent two different international cricketing nations, Australia and South Africa was named as the side’s head coach, making the storyline more profound with the inclusion of some of history’s firsts.

Inaugural Season: Land of hopeless romantics and the underdog story!

As the opening campaign of the T20 contest was off to incredible fanfare and a memorable Brendon McCullum innings for KKR against RCB, the tournament had become an instant classic. And CSK ensured that they weren’t going to be left behind in any aspect of the event with an incredible 240-run total against the Preity Zinta-owned Kings XI Punjab thanks to Hussey’s unbeaten ton that helped CSK post a 33-run win. The first of innumerable triumphs for the men in Yellow.

And the rest as they say is history.

Chennai then went on to win their first home game of what has transpired into one of the most celebrated rivalries in world cricket as they got the better of Sachin Tendlkar’s Mumbai Indians by six runs thanks to Hayden’s 81-run masterclass. The victory also marked the first-ever game at the Chepauk for the CSK, which the unit has made into a fortress over the years.

Kolkata were next to fall prey to the side from CSK with Kiwi Oram starring with a three-wicket haul to delight the local crowd with their second straight win at ‘The Den’. Chennai posted their fourth straight win with a triumph at neighbours RCB’s home, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, with ‘Thala’ Dhoni making a solid 65.

CSK’s first-ever defeat in the IPL was in front of the adoring fans at Chepauk as a loss against Delhi Capitals initiated a 3-game-losing run for MS and Co. as they also went down to Rajasthan Royals on the road and to Deccan Chargers at home.

However, fortunes turned around for the best as Dhoni starred in the side’s return to winning form against Delhi Daredevils with a run-a-ball 33 run-knock.

Hometown boy Balaji registered the first ever hattrick in the history of the tournament as he sent Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla and VRV Singh back to the hut in consecutive deliveries to post a 18-run win. Mumbai exacted revenge for their defeat at Chepauk with a 9-wicket thrashing on home soil before Chennai returned to winning way with a Makaya Ntini hattrick against KKR at the Eden Gardens.

Two hattricks from leading pacers in a single season, not a bad start!

Home losses to RCB and RR were difficult to digest, but a win at Hyderabad sent Chennai straight to the semifinals in Mumbai, where Ntini troubled Kings XI Punjab to punch CSK’s ticket in the final of the inaugural edition of the tournament where the Yellow Army was up against Shane Warne’s underdogs Rajasthan Royals.

The icon had spearheaded Chennai into the summit clash of the sporting extravaganza in sterling fashion littered with multiple ups and downs.

The memorable final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai went down to the wire as the drama-loving Indian populace was treated to a true David vs Goliath finish. Sohail Tanvir, the season’s highest wicket-taker ensured that the unfancied RR would script history by getting their name up on the trophy.

The most unfancied side at the beginning of the tournament had went onto claim the silverware under the stewardship of legendary Aussie leggie Shane Warne, throwing promising Indians youngsters such as Ravindra Jadeja and Swapnil Asnodkar into the limelight.

The rating for the colossal product was handed a boost by the indomitable spirit of the underdog side, which struck a chord in everyone’s heart. Alas, India is a land of hopeless romantics trying to live viscerally through the victories of the little fellows.

But, despite the finals heartbreak the local Chennai crowd had come to claim the team and the undoubted orchestrator of the band as their very own with religious fervour. The bright yellow became an identity of the city which is a flagbearer of multiple idiosyncrasies that have come to define it.

The fondness was reciprocated by the players and fans of the side who felt connected to the multitudes on offer in the city, which showers …

The first season had come and gone with the trophy going elsewhere, but Chennai could take solace and joy from the fact that the concept of franchise cricket had struck gold and the team had the best man for the job at the helm as Dhoni slowly but surely fell as much in love with us as we did with him.

With every resounding victory, the affinity for the side in yellow seemed to ebb, but more importantly, with each harrowing defeat, the bond between the city, the side and its enigmatic leader strengthened beyond comprehension. As here was a man who could take on the pressure of carrying the hopes of an entire city. Alas, what was this for the skipper who shouldered a million dreams on the world stage and emerged triumphant time and again?

The Chennai yellow had made its way firmly into the culture of the city so much so that every densely populated gathering had a dash of the sunlit jersey while brands were lining up in front of the team’s headquarters dreaming of an association of any kind possible.

Players were given the elevated status of heroes, with the unquestionable leader at the thick of it all. The concept of franchise cricket in India hit the stratosphere following the unprecedented success of the opening edition of the tournament which altered the phase and consumption of the sport in the nation.

However, little did we know that in a couple of months, the entire nation would come to a standstill for a moment of unequivocal significance in the history of the nation with the Taj attack in November, following which the socio-economic circumstances in the nation would never be the same ever again.

With the impact of the attacks still being felt in one form or another, the second season of the much-loved IPL was moved to South Africa due to safety concerns.

Season 2: Aftermath of Taj Attacks and Commercial Haven!

“The fan following that Chennai has got, is not limited to Tamil Nadu and goes beyond the borders of the state and even India. Wherever we have played, be it Chepauk or we go to Bangalore or Mumbai or Delhi, or even when we go to Durban or Dubai, we have got the most support whenever we needed them.”

-Mahendra Singh Dhoni

The success of the inaugural edition made IPL the belle of the ball as TRP skyrocketed and everybody wanted a piece of the action. Multi-million dollar brands wanted to get a piece of the showpiece and the money started rolling in like nobody would have dared to dream of.

Product placement took over and resulted in the prototype version of the strategic time which was a 10-minute break at the halfway point in each innings, which eventually faced backlash from fans and pundits alike as it halted the momentum of the game while corporates made a quick buck off the 600-second window.

The Zoozoos were a sensation that took the nation by storm with their cricket-themed adverts in between overs that kept the viewers glued to the telly even during the commercials.

The commercials and promotions piggybacked on the immense success of the inaugural edition, which had left everyone longing for more and followed the theme of ‘Divided by Nation, United by IPL’, a play on the switch in base to South Africa, who were more than glad to pick up the hosting rights for the nascent sensation.

The adverts portraying prayers at Hindu Temples for Andrew Symonds, Mosque Namaz for Virender Sehwag and Church Mass for MS Dhoni added an extra layer of the message of unity in diversity. The affinity for the event was on display with creative clippings from each team furthening the hype surrounding the showpiece.

Fan favourite Fleming announced his retirement from his playing days and was named to take over the CSK side as the head coach replacing Wessels at the helm. CSK managed to rope in English lad Andrew ‘Freddy’ Flintoff for 1.55 million USD, making him the most expensive buy alongside compatriot Kevin Petersen, who went the way of RCB. Chennai also strengthened their side with the addition of local boy Murali Vijay, Sri Lankan Thilan Thushara and Aussie George Bailey, while Hussey opted out of the season in preparation for the upcoming Ashes that year.

The lead-up tracks and chants in anticipation of the sporting feast got bolder too. Imagery from the opening season was postered across the city and the minds of people who craved the return of T20 action during the prime time slot on the Sony Network.

Billboards and hoardings boasting of the brave heart leader’s pursuit for the title that slipped away in the final hurdle the first time around adorned the skylines of modern Madras as computerized graphics did their best to morph the charismatic skipper’s likeness into a roaring lion with the best tech available over a decade and a half ago.

Chennai opened their campaign against Mumbai at Cape Town, and were handed a 19-run defeat, but before idle minds and jealous hearts could start celebrating, CSK returned to winnings way with a 92-run thumping of RCB as Muralitharan starred with a three-fer.

CSK were able to pick up just a single point in their following three games due to KKR and the MSD-led side splitting points after an abandoned game at Cape Town, while losing out on any against the Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers either side of the stalemate.

However, a run of five wins, encompassing a double against reigning champions RR, a 12-run win by the D/L method over KXIP and revenge wins over DD and DC, against whom Dhoni put up an unbeaten 58.

RCB halted Chennai’s winning run at Durban, but Hayden’s 60 against MI in the subsequent game helped the side avenge their opening-day defeat. A stumble against KKR before closing out the league stage with a 24-run win against KXIP propelled CSK into the second spot thus earning them another semifinal entry.

CSK’s chase for the trophy was cut short a bit earlier this time as RCB dumped their neighbours out of contention for the prize in the final four in a low-scoring encounter in which neither team had a player going past the 50-run mark.

RCB would ultimately lose out on the prize as another Australian great stood tall at the end of the tournament with Adam Gilchrist leading his Deccan Chargers to the coveted title in a nail-biter.

Irrespective of the final result, CSK had started cultivating a culture where consistency was key and they had lived up to their own obligations of making it past the group stages, a trend that would continue like a tradition for years.

And when the tournament made a return to its land of inception, the nation rolled out the red carpet to welcome it back home with warmth.

Season 3: Return to the Heartland! ‘Whistle Podu’ Era and ‘Enga Thala’ Dhoni

After a year abroad, India’s favourite domestic tournament, with an international flavour nevertheless, was making a return to the homeland and the excitement was palpable.

The second edition in South Africa had also helped in bolstering the presence and significance of the tournament overseas too and everybody wanted a piece of the pie. And the return to the land of origin brought with an air of optimism for the summer.

For an entire generation, back in the day, summer meant a break from academics, cricket with your mates in the sweltering heat, mangoes, vacations to hometowns and the periodic, calculated return of the flagbearers of everything Chennai, the Chennai Super Kings.

The branding ahead of the tournament return was when creativity peaked. CSK came up with the famous ‘Whistle Podu’ trope, which became the war cry of the brand.

The promo video started with the skipper bleating a whistle, colloquially known as the ‘bigil’, followed by a 60-second banger encompassing the landmarks which have come to be so intricately associated with the city.

A highlight reel complete with song, dance, fun and frolic in the heat, cutting between everything essentially ‘Chennai’ including cutouts of movie superstars, the bespoke yellow-coloured autorickshaws, the archetypal mofussil busses and their drivers, the Bharathanatiyam dancer, the school kids dressed in their alternate ‘Chera, Choza, Pandiya, Pallava’ school clothes, the flower vendors, the carousel operators, skyrocketed the anticipation ahead of the third edition of the tournament.

Alas, third time lucky, eh!

Ahead of the start of the third season, Freddy had pulled out of the month-long event and was replaced by Protea Justin Kemp, and another Lankan Lion in the form of Thisara Perera was roped in. Hemang Badani and Chandrasekar Ganapathy were added, while Aussie pacer and Chennai fan favourite Dou Bollinger was brought in to replace the injured Oram.

CSK’s homecoming to the Den was spoilt by holders Deccan as they picked up a 31-run win, but Dhoni did not keep the fans waiting for a win as his unbeaten 66-run knock against KKR gave the men in yellow their first win of the season, that would prove to be monumental in the annals of history.

However, a storm ensued as it was announced that Dhoni had to sit out a couple of games in the first part of the season due to a forearm fracture which dealt a major blow to the side from the TN capital city.

‘Chinna Thala’ Raina was given the reins in the absence of Dhoni and this tenure at the helm was off to an excellent start as Hayden’s swashbuckling 93 against Delhi ensured Chennai would win two games on the trot.

But, the delight soon turned into anguish as Chennai went on a run of four defeats starting with a loss to KXIP at home in super over, the IPL’s first ever, after the game was tied. The losing trend continued under Raina as CSK suffered yet another setback against RCB in a 36-run defeat.

A trip to Mumbai was on the cards next and Dhoni had returned to the squad re-taking his reins from deputy Raina, but a masterful 75-run knock from the Master Balster Sachin himself condemned CSK to a hattrick of defeats. Rajasthan would compound the misery with a 17-run triumph on the road.

As the season’s prospects seemed bleak, and with the perfect record of having made the playoffs in every edition in jeopardy, CSK turned things around in true cinematic fashion.

The Lions exacted quick revenge on RCB, RR and MI at home as Chepauk’s aura of impenetrability felt to have returned. Homeboy Vijay’s 78 against RCB was topped by himself in the next game against RR as the opener scored a delightful 127 to lead the home side. Raina helmed the vengeance against MI at Chennai and it seemed as though normalcy was restored as far as the Madras faithful were concerned.

But, if the story was as straightforward as it appeared, there would be no movie, eh!

Chennai’s qualification was made complicated as they lost the next two of three outings against DC and DD. An intermittent win over KKR kept Chennai’s chances of progress alive, but they had the task of downing KXIP at Dharamshala.

That Night at Dharamshala:

With the ghost of the super-over defeat still painfully haunting CSK had the tricky task of travelling to the picturesque Dharamshala for a do-or-die affair against Yuvraj’s Punjab.

Shaun Marsh, the inaugural season orange cap winner, got the hosts off to a bustling start and put the CSK bowling attack to the sword smashing the bowlers in yellow all over the park in exquisite fashion en route to his unbeaten 88 runs knock off just 57 deliveries.

He was ably supported by Sri Lankan duo Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara at the top and Irfan Pathan at the tail, who helped the Punjab unit finish with a strong 192-run total.

Chasing the mammoth total under excruciating pressure of maintain their perfect progress record, CSK got off to an unfavourable start as Hayden and Vijay were dismissed early in the innings. The side looked all at sea before Raina and homeboy Badrinath steadied the chase as Chinna Thala put up a quickfire 46 off 27 deliveries to restore sanity to the Chennai faithful.

But, when Karan Goel collected the catch offered up to him by Raina off Juan ‘Rusty’ Theron’s over, the dancing Chennai crowd back home stood stunned for a bit. Big-hitting Morkel was expected to walk in, but lo and behold, who comes out with the trademark pads on? Well, who else?

With the pressure mounting with each passing delivery, Thala promoted himself up the order (in a pre-cursor to what would alter the course of cricketing history a year later in Indian blue) to take his place across the brilliant Badrinath with his focus set on one target.

Badrinath accompanied his skipper till the 17th over before he was sent back to the hut by Piyush Chawla as Morkel came on to replace his teammate.

The pressure had hit fever pitch when CSK required a surplus of 40 in the back three overs of the game as the qualification spot hung in the balance. What came then was the stuff of folklore.

An old adage from local literature roughly translates to ‘When the timid or the clam are enraged, forests blaze’. And true to the word of the famously smart society when Dhoni turned colour, so did Dharamsala.

The signature helicopter shot followed by an uncharacteristic outpour of emotion from the perenially composed cut of Dhoni in his imposing frame that carried CSK into the playoff in the most dramatic of fashion.

The match-clinching 54 off 29. The raging thump of the fist on the helmet grill from the most unexpected of sources.

Heritage! Absolute CSK heritage!