The night of 7th April 2018 witnessed a nail-biting victory to the Chennai Super Kings, who were back on the pitch after a two-year hiatus, against the Mumbai Indians.
In light of this moment that thrilled CSK supporters around the country, it is necessary to examine why the return of this team has been surrounded with so much hype and happiness (unlike the Rajasthan Royals, who staged a comparatively quiet return).
Betting Scandal
CSK’s victory lap came to a screeching halt when Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan and Vindoo Dara Singh were arrested by the Mumbai police for their alleged involvement in the 2013 spot-fixing and betting case, leading to the team receiving a two-year ban from participating in the IPL (the Rajasthan Royals were suspended for the same reason).
IPL 2018 Comeback
Making their comeback under the coaching of Stephen Fleming, the Super Kings won by an extremely narrow margin, mainly due to Dwayne Bravo’s star performance- he scored an amazing 68 runs off 30 balls, including a whopping 7 sixes. Fans took to social media to express their jubilation at CSK’s stunning comeback to the world of IPL.
But why has there been so much excitement around the return of the Super Kings?
A Magic Formula
The Chennai Super Kings have been part of the IPL since its inception in 2008, and have developed a reputation for being one of the highest performing teams.
Helmed by wicketkeeper MS Dhoni, the team has an interesting combination of players- from Captain Cool himself to the hardworking Raina and Ashwin, the aggressive Jadeja, to the excitable Dwayne Bravo, who keeps the audience cheering by performing a little gig on the pitch everytime CSK faces a victory.
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The Advantage Of A Double Fanbase
This team has a sizeable fanbase not only in Chennai but also in Jharkhand, the home state of skipper MS Dhoni. The Super Kings had won the IPL in 2010 and 2011, and have the best win percentage of all the teams, standing at a proud 60.68%.
In 2015, their brand value was said to be roughly $67 million, making them the IPL’s third most valuable team.
Star Players
As listed above, the team also has some extremely popular players, such as Dhoni, Raina, Jadeja, Ashwin, Bravo, and so on, all of whom have huge individual fanbases, which tend to come together to create a big support system for the Chennai Super Kings as a whole.
Consistent Performance
Even though the Super Kings have lifted the trophy only twice, they have made it to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals several times, proving time and again that they are a reliable team, one that rarely disappoints fans.
Due to all these reasons, there is a large amount of goodwill towards the Super Kings (although supporters of their rival team, the Mumbai Indians, may beg to differ), and their return to the pitch has been one of the most anticipated events of the IPL 2018.
From their nail-biting victory against their old rivals, the Super Kings have proved to their fans that they are indeed back in full form!
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: Wikipedia, Chennai Super Kings Official Fan Page, CSK WEB
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