Rachin Ravindra got a first-hand experience of the MS Dhoni fandom in Chennai on Sunday before he opened up about denying the fans what they came for.
When MS Dhoni walked out with four needed to win against Mumbai Indians in their IPL 2025 opener, the packed MA Chidambaram Stadium felt they had their money’s worth. The hope for those thousands and millions of others glued to their television sets was to see what they have waited with baited breath for the last 12 months – a Dhoni six to ‘finish it off in style.’ But instead, it was Rachin Ravindra who wrapped up the chase with a winning six. But while it was a moment to savour for the young New Zealand batter, he was targeted with hate messages on social media after the game from Dhoni fans.
CSK’s Rachin Ravindra (L) and MS Dhoni look on during the IPL 2025 match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians(AFP)
After the dismissal of Ravindra Jadeja on the fourth ball of the penultimate over, Dhoni walked out as Chepauk went berserk. With four runs left to win and having watched the 43-year-old show glimpses of his finishing abilities last season, the only expectation was a moment of nostalgia – for Dhoni to roll back the years and take the fans back to his glory days.
But Dhoni defended both the remaining balls of the 19th over and put Rachin back on strike as the opener finished it with a six in the first ball of the final. The match-winning act, however, did not sit well with Dhoni fans, as they targeted Rachin with hate messages on his Instagram handle.
“Why you didn’t give strike to Dhoni?” asked most of the fans on his six-day post on joining the CSK camp before the campaign opener. “Thala ko chakka kyun nahi maarne diya (Why didn’t you let Dhoni hit a six)?” asked another. One of them even threatened to “unfollow” him on Instagram, while another wanted Chennai to “drop” him for the next game.
Rachin Ravindra on Dhoni fandom
The left-handed opener got a first-hand experience of the Dhoni fandom in Chennai on Sunday before he opened up about denying the fans what they came for.
“It’s difficult to soak it in when you’re in the moment, because you’re simply focused on winning the game for the team,” he said after the match. “It’s hard to ignore, though. You hear Dhoni come out with the whistles and the noise. It’s cool to share the crease with him for the first time. He’s a legend of the game, and people love him here. So it’s special.
“All the crowd would have been hoping that I gave him [the strike] and he finished it. But it’s just about getting the job done. He has finished so many games to CSK, and I’m sure there’s plenty more to come.”
