'Would have been 48,000 MS Dhoni number seven shirts' - Justin Langer shares his experience working in India

The former Australian cricketer and coach Justin Langer recently opened up about his experience working with cricket stars in India. Langer was the head coach of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season.

While he was in awe of the affection shown towards legendary cricketer MS Dhoni, but he also criticized the harsh treatment faced by Hardik Pandya from the fans.

Langer revealed the sea of Dhoni jerseys he witnessed during LSG's matches against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), both home and away. At Lucknow's Ekana Stadium, with a capacity of 50,000, he estimated around 48,000 fans were donning the iconic No. 7 Dhoni jersey. When they traveled to Chennai, the number went up to 100%. 

"It’s extraordinary. I heard about it first; then we played them [CSK] twice. They came to Lucknow, and our capacity crowd [in Ekana Stadium] is about 50,000, and honestly, there would have been 48,000 MS Dhoni number seven shirts. I couldn’t believe it, and then we went to CSK, and there wasn’t 98%; there was 100%. And it’s unbelievable. The hero worship in India is unbelievable," he said to BBC Sport.

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Rather than getting upset by it, go with the flow: Justin Langer

Langer expressed his disbelief at the love the star cricketer receives and compared it to the admiration received by Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli in the past.

"And look, I felt it when we played in India before as a player, particularly with Sachin Tendulkar. Then, when I was coaching with [Australia], Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni, But when you get over there, it’s unbelievable," he added.

However, the 53-year-old also highlighted the flip side of this passion. He pointed out the contrasting reception received by Pandya, who had taken over the captaincy of the Mumbai Indians (MI) from the much-loved Rohit Sharma. Despite being the vice-captain of the Indian T20I team, Pandya faced boos from the crowds in every game.

"And I saw the flip side of it as well because Rohit Sharma is a huge hero in India as India captain. And what happened with Mumbai Indians this year… Hardik Pandya took over as the captain from Rohit Sharma. The much-loved Rohit Sharma. And it was really sad to watch. You know, he got booed every game by the Indian crowds. He’s the vice-captain of the Indian T20I squad. So, I saw both sides of it. I learned this from Jonty Rhodes and Morne Morkel, who’d been to the IPL before. Rather than getting upset by it, go with the flow," Langer concluded.

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The Lucknow-based team, who won seven of the 14 games they played in the IPL 2024, finished seventh in the points standings under Langer's guidance. Unfortunately, the side couldn't manage to make it to the playoffs.