'We felt that years ago when we had Tendulkar' – Kieron Pollard on the MS Dhoni-phenomenon ahead of MI-CSK blockbuster clash

Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Pollard voiced his opinion on Chennai Super Kings’ skipper MS Dhoni’s massive following across the nation ahead of the eagerly-anticipated clash. Notably, two of the most decorated sides, MI and CSK will be up against each other at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, April 8.

The arch-rivals had a forgettable season in 2022 as Mumbai finished with a wooden spoon whereas Chennai finished second last in the points table. Furthermore, CSK have got off to a mixed start with one win and a loss in their two games while Mumbai had an evening to forget against RCB in their first outing.

Despite this, the two big names in the lucrative T20 league are known to bounce back from their early failures and eventually clinch the title. Ahead of the blockbuster second double-header on Saturday, MI batting coach Pollard provided his golden words on rival skipper Dhoni’s massive fan following, drawing parallels with legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.

“Fortunately, or unfortunately, when he plays this season, everywhere he goes, he's going to have a home crowd and a home support, because of what he has done. We have felt that years ago when we had our own icon, Sachin Tendulkar. No matter where we went throughout India, we had that support,” Pollard was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

Undoubtedly, Dhoni and Tendulkar are known to be massive crowd pullers whenever they take the field. Only a handful of cricketers can make the crowd go berserk irrespective of the venue of the contest and such is the impact of the duo cricketing greats.

Speaking about the forthcoming clash, the home side will look to obtain their first points in the top-tier league after losing to Faf du Plessis’ RCB. On the other hand, CSK are coming off from a win against Lucknow Super Giants in their previous outing and will look to maintain that momentum against Mumbai at Wankhede. MI have the upper hand as per the head-to-head records with 20 wins in their 34 outings to CSK’s 14.