‘I am grateful to my fans’ - MS Dhoni reflects on  viral ‘Thala for a reason’ trend

Former India skipper MS Dhoni is undoubtedly one of the most renowned athletes in the world. Despite retiring from international cricket in August 2020, Dhoni continues to feature in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings. Being a fan favourite, it is only natural that the 43-year-old’s supporters are quite active across social media. 

As a testament to his fame, Dhoni fans recently started a new trend of ‘Thala for a reason.’ The trend is that fans relate Dhoni's jersey number 7 to every good thing that happens. Recently, the former India skipper came forward and talked about it, revealing that he is aware of it and even thanking his fans for always showing him love and support through social media. 

"I myself was not aware of this trend. I got to know about it via Instagram. So, I am grateful to my fans. I don't have to defend myself on social media. I never need to come out and say anything on social media or Instagram. Whenever needed, my fans do it for me. Whenever needed, they praise me," Dhoni said at an event.

"So I am not required to do anything. I guess this was part of that too as well. So I am very grateful to my fans. Even though I am not very active on social media. Still they just wait for me to post and they just love it,” he added.

MS Dhoni’s future in the IPL is still uncertain, After leading CSK to their fifth IPL title in 2023, Dhoni promised his fans that he would represent Chennai for another season. With Ruturaj Gaikwad taking the reins in the IPL 2024, Dhoni took a backseat from the captaincy, but after missing out on the tournament in the group stages, there has been no update on whether Dhoni will return to compete for CSK in the IPL 2025.