'They're MS Dhoni fans before CSK fans' - Ambati Rayudu on how 'Thala' craze affects CSK as a team

The legacy of MS Dhoni has become the introduction of the side in the Indian Premier League (IPL). It is safe to say that the legendary keeper-batter is the heart and soul of the franchise. Even though Dhoni is no longer leading the team, the crowd still has the same excitement and cheer every time he enters the field.

However, former cricketer turned commentator Ambati Rayudu has given some reasons for how the craze for the Indian skipper causes damage to the franchise, bringing up how much pressure it is putting on the other players and how the whole team is built around him.

The former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player opened up on how the Dhoni craze has harmed the franchise and will slump even further in the future. The Guntur-born's statement on the 43-year-old star cricketer sheds light on how the aura that Dhoni carries goes on to ultimately affect the Men in Yellow as a team in the IPL.

“It is quite strange, and I don't think it actually serves the game well. It is quite daunting if you're a newcomer. It's quite loud. The support is phenomenal. But, as you go on and play, then you realise they are MS Dhoni fans before they are CSK fans. It is quite evident, and rightly so, because that's the way the team has been set up and built over the years," Rayudu told ESPNcricinfo.

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Fans anticipate others to get out quickly: Rayudu

Rayudu, who has won the IPL thrice as a CSK player and six times overall, believes that when the crowd enters Chepauk or any other ground to watch games, they simply want other batters to get out. Fans do so to get a glimpse of Dhoni for a little longer than they actually anticipate, which according to the 39-year-old is the reason why the Ranchi-born has been made popular by the title of Thala, meaning leader in Tamil.

“He's rightly named Thala and he has been calling the shots in CSK, and it's come to a stage where people are madly in awe and in love of what he's done for CSK. It's been happening for quite a few years now, and quite a few players have felt it over the years., you know, if not come out openly and said something about it, but internally, a lot of people used to feel that the crowd," he said further.

"Even though we also love MS Dhoni, and they also love MS Dhoni, and we want to see him bat, but sometimes when you, as an individual, are going out to bat, they are shouting from the crowd to... literally asking you to get out. Or they are anticipating or expecting you to get out," the cricketer-turned-commentator concluded.