Random Ramblings of a Reluctant Blogger

 Can one watch sports without emotions? Can one be so involved without the heart in it? Tough, isn’t it? But there comes a moment when one has to keep aside the emotion and view it with purely dispassionately. 

For Chennai Super Kings and M S Dhoni, this is that time. 

There can be no doubt that a large part of CSK’s success can be attributed to Dhoni. And not just success, the fan following too is largely due to him. But when the fans are happy just to see a few big hits from their thala and not be bothered about the result, it is time for some serious introspection. No matter how loved a team is, the winning quotient has to be a barometer too. (Ok, don’t bring in RCB and fans. They exist on another planet). 

A team which has the most number of IPL titles, along with Mumbai Indians, ought to set its sights on soaring further. And at present the team seems to be weighed down by the very charismatic person who has taken the team this far. 

To be fair he alone cannot be blamed for the losses. But when a team rides on a particular ‘lucky charm’ the team’s troubles too need to be addressed by the very charm. Afterall charms too come with sell-by dates.

The issue isn’t just about captaincy. Each team faces a unique issue when captains change. MI, for example. Though I feel their issues have more to do with egos. That is not the case with CSK.

CSK has taken another approach and feels the new captain should be guided through. Those who think the team is doing right by Ruturaj Gaikwad, should realise sometimes it is better to let someone learn the hard way. And this is not questioning Dhoni’s guidance. And in any case, if it is about mentoring then he could well do it from the dugout.

Further the new captain may have his own ideas and gut feelings on the team composition and thoughts on how to go about the game. Yes, a template does help, but to be able to do it on your own, Rituraj Gaikwad needs to be given time _ on the field and without Dhoni. For no matter what, the presence of Dhoni on the field might be restrictive. It is but natural for Rituraj to consult Dhoni about his gut feelings, those that go beyond the template and change the game. Thus far those magical moments haven’t transpired. It is not to lay the fault at Dhoni’s door, but one can feel intimidated without the other making him feel so. Agreed the captain is only as good as the team, was so even when Dhoni was leading, but then there was the finisher in Dhoni who came up whenever the team needed it. 

And that, let’s admit it, is a thing of the past. Even if Dhoni desperately wants it, he cannot turn back the clock and unleash the legendary finisher in him. And in any case the finisher’s role itself has now been reimagined. The openers are the new finishers now. 

The game is mutating at an incredible speed and one needs to keep up. For a team to be called successful it needs to land the trophies. The fan following isn’t the real criteria. Ask any RCB fan and their intense desire for namade cup. The kid for whom Dhoni was, and still is, an emotion, too has grown up and with newer glasses might now view things differently. Dhoni will be missed no doubt, but in the heart he will dwell.

And for the legend in him to reach the stratosphere and for the Super Kings to soar and further high, the King needs to bow out.