MS Dhoni fandom 'sycophancy': Manjrekar takes aim at CSK's handling of legend

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar criticised the "sycophancy" surrounding MS Dhoni's vast fandom and questioned Chennai Super Kings' handling of the uncertainty over his availability in IPL 2026.

The build-up around Dhoni's role this season, including whether the Impact Player rule could be used to bring him into the XI, remains unresolved, with the veteran yet to feature in the tournament. Sidelined by a calf injury just days before the start of the season, Dhoni was initially expected to be out for two weeks. Three weeks into the competition, however, there is still no clarity on his return.

That lack of direction has reflected in CSK's campaign. They lost their first three matches, bounced back with consecutive wins, but slipped again to remain in the bottom half of the table. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has come under scrutiny, managing just 82 runs in six innings as the team continues to search for consistency.

With pressure mounting, Manjrekar defended Gaikwad and instead pointed the finger at the CSK management.

"This blame, I'm going to put at the doorstep of the owners and people who make the big decisions. Because Gaikwad, before he was captain, was phenomenal at the top of the order," he said on Sportstar's Insight Edge podcast.

Manjrekar further argued that the overwhelming attention around Dhoni has only added to the pressure on the young captain.

"And then that thing with M.S. Dhoni - whether he's going to be playing, whether he's going to be captain - they handled that very badly. And this is where you see the sycophancy of Indian culture that has seeped into cricket as well. I mean, there isn't just a fan following of Dhoni, there is sycophancy around it," he added.

The former India batter also recalled an incident to underline the intensity of Dhoni's fandom and how it can cloud objectivity.

"There was one instance of Dhoni trying to put his bat into the crease, and it was a very close call. And I said he was clearly short and should be run out. They got angry with me for saying that because it was seen as anti-Dhoni. Somewhere, they lost sight of the bigger picture."

When asked whether Dhoni's return could ease Gaikwad's burden, Manjrekar expressed doubts over how CSK could accommodate him in the playing XI, especially given the nature of his recent appearances.

"Maybe, but then you have to play Dhoni on the field. And how do you do that? Increasingly, he's finding it tough to deliver. It was a bit of a joke when he came down the order to face three or four balls and the coverage hyped it up as 'what an innings'. It lasted four balls.

"So that's not feasible anymore, and it was never going to be a long-term solution. I can't pretend to know how Ruturaj felt when M.S. was on the field but not captaining, as opposed to not being there at all," he said.

At present, there is still no clarity on Dhoni's availability for CSK's next fixture against Mumbai Indians, even as he continues to travel with the squad.

"Not really, I'm not sure," batting coach Michael Hussey said when asked about Dhoni's return. "He's progressing nicely with his rehab, and I'm happy with how he's batting."

With Dhoni yet to feature this season, the questions around his role and influence continue to cast a long shadow over CSK's campaign.

IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score