MS Dhoni should address THIS matter at Chepauk for all CSK players: Ambati Rayudu makes bold statement

Ambati Rayudu has let the cat out of the bag. Amidst another IPL season and "Thala" frenzy, the six-time winner questioned Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans cheering the dismissal of their middle-order batters so that MS Dhoni could arrive at the crease. Many CSK stars were unhappy with this crowd behaviour, Rayudu said and opinioned Dhoni should intervene to put an end to this awkward fan culture. 

As a batter, it is not nice to witness supporters of your team being happy when you get dismissed, Rayudu pointed out. This has been a frequent phenomenon in Chepauk for a few seasons now to the surprise of many CSK players, he said.

For the unversed, MS Dhoni receives thunderous applause whenever he makes his way to the middle of the crease. However, ever since his international retirement, CSK fans at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium are thrilled to see him play so much that they openly celebrate when the batter ahead of him is dismissed by the opposition. Even a veteran CSK star like Ravindra Jadeja was not spared from this strange Chepauk behaviour in recent years.

"It's been happening for quite a few years now, and quite a few players have felt it over the years, if not come out openly and said something about it, but internally, a lot of people used to feel that about the crowd," Rayudu told ESPN Cricinfo. "Even though we also love MS Dhoni and want to see him bat, but sometimes when you, as an individual, are going out to bat, they are shouting from the crowd to... literally asking you to get out. Or they are anticipating or expecting you to get out," said Rayudu.

According to the batter, MSD addressing the issue can resolve it permanently. All the former captain has to do is remind the fans that others are representing CSK just like him. "The best person who can address that is MS Dhoni himself. If he comes out and says, 'they are all our players, and just like me batting they are batting in the middle', or something like that to soothe the crowd, it will be great for the players," Rayudu said.