Aaja Mahi: Dhoni fans ready to bring #WhistlePodu for Thala’s ‘last’ match | Cricket
MS Dhoni fans are all set to paint the Arun Jaitley Stadium yellow today for Chennai Super Kings’ match against Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Pulling out all stops to watch their favorite cricketer in action, many in the city are ready to cheer on their thala with Dhoni’s jersey! Chaitanya Pal, a Paschim Vihar-based freelancer, says, “This could be Mahi’s last IPL and last match in the capital, so we can’t afford to miss the opportunity.” Anything to catch Dhoni playing live in Delhi! All my brothers have bought brand new yellow jerseys to show their support from the front. We will show Dhoni’s craze in the stadium in Delhi.
Those who could not get tickets to enter the stadium did not let their spirits down. These include 23-year-old Divyansha Sohanvi, a resident of Pitampura. “I was prepared to buy tickets online, but they all sold out in literally ten minutes!” She says, “I’m so nervous I can’t see him, you know. I specially took a day off in anticipation of the match. I’m still trying to get tickets to see Thala live!”
Most of the fans admit that they do not want to stay at home and go to clubs and restaurants to see Captain Cool. “We are welcoming Dhoni’s fans to watch him play on the big screen and are offering discounts to those who come wearing his team’s yellow jersey,” said the bar manager of Noida-based Sutra Club. Turned the club into a sports bar for the evening.
Such is the craze that many office-goers have applied for half-days in the hope that this will be Dhoni’s last match in the capital. Zubair Khan, a data analyst with a Hauz Khas-based company, says, “My entire team is taking a break today to watch the match at a bar near work. We are all fans of Dhoni… Our state aside, the whole country has to support Dhoni in the end. Instead of going to office, everyone will wear jersey and will hold gatherings.
Seeing the craze among the fans, some offices have decided to screen the match in their premises. Tushar Gautam, a social media executive at a real estate-tech firm in Gurugram, feels, “There is going to be no work in the second half today as we are screening the match live on our floor. The screen is placed right in the middle of the entire office, so every department will have no choice but to cheer… but goes for Dhoni!
And that’s not all, as some offices have succumbed to the IPL fervor and laid off the staff. “So many employees were asking for leave only for this that we officially decided to make it a half-day for everyone,” explains Jagruti Sinha, HR of a Noida-based tech firm. They can go home, enjoy the match. or whatever. But cricket is a religion and Dhoni is God for so many people, even in Delhi. I am also a fan of CSK myself.
the author tweets @Kriti Kambiri
