Such occurrences are not surprising in our age-old tradition of personality or hero worship. CSK fans protested by shouting ‘Vayye Go’ out while Shivam Dube was playing in the match between CSK and Lucknow Supergiants in Chepauk yesterday, it is a negative act of mob mentality to knock another player down even if it is to watch their own Dhoni play.
Even though Shivam Dubey struggled a bit early on and was caught by Mark Wood, he hit 2 consecutive fours and 2 consecutive sixes off Ravi Bishnoi, Lucknow’s top spinner. But a crowd kept shouting ‘dei dubey out aguda’ for Dhoni to come and enjoy his performance. This is not the first time that fans have shouted at Dubey, it was during CSK’s practice this season when fans chanted Dei Shivam Dubey when he was exposed to public view, according to media reports. All they want is to see their hero, ‘Thala’ Dhoni!
Yesterday, after 4 years, CSK played in Chepakk, it might be Dhoni’s last season as he turns 42, so fans are eager to see Dhoni’s game, especially his sixes, helicopter shots, there is no wrong in getting excited, it’s like insulting the player who is playing for it by saying ‘Day Out Aguda’. Screaming is the perversion of the hero worship mentality.
Even though Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali played yesterday, the fans were more restless because they felt that if Dhoni didn’t get out, it would be a waste. Dhoni didn’t disappoint the fans yesterday, he got off and faced just 3 balls, that too against one of the fastest bowlers in the world, Mark Wood. Mark Wood’s first ball was 149 kmph and Dhoni reached it and hit it over point for a six! The excitement of the flood of fans has melted away.
The next six off this shot is top class! Wood bowled a quick short-pitch bouncer from wide of the crease, the ball that came to Dhoni’s chest flew as if he had a spin and hit it over the deep square leg boundary to see if the ball would land or not land on the road. Among the fans, it fell over 2-3 floors.
For the fans who once enjoyed watching Dhoni hit such sixes off fast bowlers like Shoaib Akhtar and Fred Lee, these sixes by Mark Wood will stir the memories of that old Dhoni. Dhoni has hit so many bouncers for sixes in IPL series. But if Dhoni’s 2nd hook shot six yesterday is his best six, it’s not an exaggeration, it’s a stunning shot in this age. Mark Utte was taken aback.
This is all right! I don’t understand what kind of mentality it is to call the other player out. We cannot look at hero worship as a positive at any level because hero worship is about creating a mentality of leveling another person, and it is this hero worship mentality that is behind the mentality of ‘trolling’ another person. In any case, there is no denying that Dhoni’s 2nd six was a terrible six in hindsight.
