IPL 2023, KKR vs CSK: Here's how Kolkata's Eden Gardens became MS Dhoni's Yellow Fortress
IPL 2023: Chennai Super Kings convincingly overpowered Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata on Sunday. Ironically, Eden Gardens became the Yellow Fortress for CSK skipper MS Dhoni. Here's how.
FollowIn a never seen atmosphere, yellow fever gripped the Eden Gardens in a tribute to talismanic MS Dhoni, who probably played his last match at the iconic venue, as he led former four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to an emphatic 49-run win over former two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the iconic Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata on Sunday.
KKR franchise had planted their purple flags in every seat of the 67,000-capacity stadium before the match began on Sunday. But once the spectators packed the stadium before the toss, all purple flags disappeared, and it was a sea of yellow in support of Dhoni. "I have played a lot of cricket over here. I had a job in Kharagpur, which was two hours from here. The love comes from there," Dhoni said at the toss, overwhelmed by the response.
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In the commentary, Ravi Shastri also endorsed the view: "It's the sea of yellow in Eden, a tribute to one man. He's the King of the East. It's MS Dhoni." However, there was no official word from CSK that Dhoni was playing his last season for the franchise, but the 41-year-old hinted a few days back that he is in the final phase of his career.
And, as Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube were berserk in their 85-run stand, loud chants of 'We want Dhoni' reverberated in the Eden Gardens. Some fans even carried play cards where it was written: "Dear Mahi, take my life and play 100 years more." Dhoni finally made a grand entry after the dismissal of Rahane with two balls left in CSK's innings.
All the fans greeted him by flashing their mobile phone cameras as he remained unbeaten on two from three balls. The first ball he faced was a no-ball from Kulwant Khejroliya. "We want a helicopter shot," shouted the fans as he gave a big heave but could not connect with the ball.
Dhoni finally got off the mark in the match's last ball with a thump to long-off. Not just from the city, fans have arrived here from Cooch Behar in North Bengal, like Anita Harijan, who had come with her four-year-old daughter. "I boarded the train on Saturday night. I stayed up all night in the general compartment. I finally came to Eden. I want to see Dhoni from the front. It was a dream come true. I'm here to see him. Everyone in my family is a Dhoni fan. We are here to support CSK," she said.
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Another fan Alka Patnaik, who had come to Eden with six friends from Odisha, said: "We just wanted to see Mahi. I came from Odisha to Kolkata to see Dhoni. I want to enjoy the KKR vs Chennai match with my friends. I won't take my eyes off Mahi for a moment." Such was the never-seen Dhoni fever that gripped Eden on Sunday.
Dhoni-effect booster on CSK
The architect of CSK's win, Ajinkya Rahane, said the tremendous support was possible only because of "Mahi Bhai". "You always get to see such support when your team has Mahendra Singh Dhoni," Rahane, who struck a 29-ball 71 not out, said at the post-match press conference.
"It feels great that CSK fans are coming everywhere, not just to the ground, but to the airport, outside the team hotel. It's only possible because of Mahi Bhai. We all are fortunate that we are getting to play and learn many things under him. It feels great when CSK supporters follow you everywhere. You get a big confidence boost as a player," he communicated.
KKR pacer David Wiese, who debuted for the franchise, named it the Dhoni effect: "It's the Dhoni effect. That's what he has on the Indian supporters." Wiese was asked if it was difficult to cope with the 'alien atmosphere' at home, to which he replied: "It's tough when you see more opposition supporters in a home game. It just gets harder and harder, and the momentum switches. It's easy to get carried away. That's the nature of the game."
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