IPL 2019: Suresh Raina praises CSK fans for cleaning stands in Chepauk after KXIP clash

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bounced back from their defeat against Mumbai Indians in Mumbai and defeated Kings XI Punjab in their own den thanks to a spirited bowling performance by Harbhajan Singh and some lusty blows from MS Dhoni in the death overs. CSK bagged their 4th win in IPL 2019 and moved to the top of the points table.

The Chennai-based franchise has a mindboggling fan following who have stuck with them through thick and thin. The fans were with the Chennai team even when they faced a two-year ban from IPL since their officials were found indulging in betting and match-fixing, according to Justice Lodha report.

When the franchise returned in IPL 2018 and their home games had to be shifted to Pune, the franchise made sure the fans reached Pune to witness the team in action by booking special trains to ferry them from and to Chennai. This has made the team dearer to the fans and they are now dubbed as the whistlepodu army.

Whistlepodu army’s lovely gesture

The CSK fans witnessed their team beating KXIP at their own home and unlike other teams’ fans, didn’t leave the ground once the match was over. Instead, a bunch of fans stayed back and decided to clean the stands and collect all the garbage left behind in the stands and spread the message of cleanliness amongst others.

We have seen such things in football, especially in FIFA World Cup 2018, when the Japan team fans cleaned the stands of the stadium, despite their team being knocked out of the competition and even the team cleaned their dressing room and left a thank you note behind.

This gesture by the CSK fans didn’t go unnoticed, as Chinna Thala Suresh Raina shared a photo on his Twitter acknowledging their kind act and posted,  “So proud to see #WhistlePoduArmy joining hands for #Cleanliness campaign! Post our last match, they collected over 10 kilos of garbage at the stadium. Are you striving for a #CleanIndia? all you gotta do is post pictures/videos of cleaning your area using: #DontBeMeanKeepItClean.”

So proud to see #WhistlePoduArmy joining hands for #Cleanliness campaign! Post our last match, they collected over 10 kilos of garbage at the stadium.

Are you striving for a #CleanIndia? all you gotta do is post pictures/videos of cleaning your area using: #DontBeMeanKeepItClean pic.twitter.com/Gjyzvv8t6X

— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) April 7, 2019

The match was pretty much one-sided after Harbhajan Singh removed Chris Gayle and Mayank Agarwal in the opening over and though a century partnership between KL Rahul and Sarfaraz Khan, both of whom scoring half-centuries, the total proved to be too much for KXIP lower order to chase down under pressure from Dhoni’s perfect bowling changes.

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