Hyderabad, April 6: Across borders and above team boundaries, maverick Mahendra Singh Dhoni does enjoy acceptability and applause. There is no debate on that.
Playing for any team, anywhere round the globe, Dhoni has been cheered and greeted by fans in stadiums. Craze for Dhoni has increased manifold after he quit international cricket.
But local crowd cheering him, even when he plays against their home team, is certainly special. He may not be the first cricketer to have been given that reception, but that definitely speaks volumes about his immense credentials as a player, his popularity and love of fans.
Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Viv Richards, Brian Lara and a few other icons too had such popularity and crowd support.
But in recent years, Dhoni has always been cheered, greeted and applauded by fans, wherever and whenever he has been. Understandably, when he plays in India, that cheer or noise is much more, which may astonish many.
When Dhoni walked into bat against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Hyderabad on Friday evening, the noise was so loud that SRH Skipper Pat Cummins was stunned. Reason being Hyderabad happens to be the home ground of SRH and Dhoni was stepping in to bat against them.
Cummins was shocked after listening to the cheering of the packed Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium for Dhoni when he came out to bat in the 20th over of CSK inning.
“The crowd was crazy tonight. When MS walked out, it was as loud as I've ever heard, but yes we love playing here and we made it two from two." Cummins said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
However, Dhoni scored just one run off two deliveries but it was a moment of delight for the spectators who came out to watch him bat. Cummins was instrumental in SRH's six-wickets win against CSK as he claimed the prize wicket of Shivam Dube, who scored 45 off 24 deliveries. It was also the 50th IPL wicket for Cummins.
"Different soil slowed up as the game went on. Still a fantastic game. We have got plenty of fast bowlers. Shivam was hitting the spinners. So we took a chance with the fast bowlers bowling cutters,” said Pat Cummins in the post-match presentation.
Cummins also praised Abhishek Sharma’s blistering knock of 37 runs in 12 deliveries and said he would never want to bowl him.
“I would not be wanting to be bowling to Abhishek Sharma. The crowd was crazy tonight, especially when MS walked out. We love playing here, at home conditions.” (With IANS support)
