Will he or will he not? The mystery and aura surrounding Dhoni’s IPL comeback

 

Dhoni. Images :X

Will he or will he not? Likely or unlikely? The MSD mystery has been an integral part of the IPL so far. It is also a proof of his star power and every time there is an update on him, the story goes viral. As far as Chennai Super Kings are concerned, they are very clear. It is purely a Dhoni call. They have left it to him and while he is practicing is what we know, whether or not he will turn up and play is a mystery as complex as the Bengal election results.

It is also very Dhoni. Much like Donald Trump has a stranglehold on global oil prices, Dhoni continues to control IPL fandom to an extent. Every time Trump says the war is close to over, the oil prices fall. Traders and analysts see hope and things start to look up. And then he says there is a very real chance of hostilities resuming and all hope gets blown up. The very same happens with Dhoni. Each time the host broadcaster or the franchise puts out a video of him training, fans get excited. So much so that a friend of mine called from the UK last week to ask if MSD was playing the game against Mumbai Indians for he’d then fly down to Chennai to catch one final glimpse of his hero. The fandom is deep and the Dhoni cult is still very real.

Now to the question: Will he or will he not? While none but Dhoni can answer this, logic says he still has hopes of playing. Why else is he training hard and gearing up? Why else should he push himself in almost every training session? “I can surely tell you that Dhoni is working hard to make it. He is committed and is extremely focussed on training. But when he will decide to make a comeback is not something any one of us knows. It is his call”, says a senior member of the CSK management.

Age isn’t on his side. His body will find it tough sooner than later. And that’s what forces me to say Dhoni owes it to his fans. They have stayed with him and the franchise and continued to believe. Ahead of every game, their hopes have gone up. They have celebrated the visuals of Dhoni hitting at the nets. It is for them that he needs to play a game. The IPL is about these fans as much as it is about Dhoni. These people, young and old, have made CSK the brand that it is and Dhoni is central to the narrative. If for no other reason, Dhoni should indeed play for his fans and give them something to cheer about. It will also mean that the IPL, somewhat boring this time round, comes alive. With three weeks still left, we can almost predict the playoffs and that’s not something good for the tournament.

Dhoni’s comeback can be a breath of fresh air and drive the narrative. Help the brand and the fans. So yes, stay hopeful for there could indeed be a last dance.

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