Dhoni had taken a sabbatical from cricket ever since the World Cup in July 2019 and since then, the cricketing world has been anxiously waiting for his return
MS Dhoni Instagram
As a build-up to the upcoming 13th season VIVO IPL, Star Sports, India’s leading sports broadcaster began a series of programming for fans of the IPL with a special show titled ‘Return of the Lion’ featuring the much adored and respected former Indian captain, MS Dhoni. The new show saw its airing on March 3rd and covered some exclusive footage of Team CSK’s return to their home ground and Dhoni’s net sessions.
Dhoni had taken a sabbatical from cricket ever since the World Cup in July 2019 and since then, the cricketing world has been anxiously waiting for his return. With IPL 2020 starting March 29th in Mumbai, Dhoni was welcomed back with open arms by the fans of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Cheupak Stadium as he resumed training ahead of what is predicted to be his IPL swansong.
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The show ‘Return of the Lion’ helped to bring his die-hard fans closer to ‘Thala’ as only the lucky ones in Chennai lined up in numbers to see him in action after a considerable amount of time away from the game. Not only did they get a chance to go through his paces again but through the show, die-hard fans were able to watch their beloved ‘Thala’ share his views and experiences of being a valued member of CSK over the years. The show focused on his Dhoni over the years at CSK both personally and professionally making him not just a better cricketer but a better human being. The show was also broadcast on Star Sports 1 Tamil – the regional flagship channel for sports in Tamil.
Dhoni spoke about the love he receives from his ardent fans for him and team CSK exclusively on Return of the Lion show on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports Tamil: “This journey started in 2008, CSK has helped me improve in everything whether it was being a human being or being a cricketer, handling situations that are tough both in and out of the field and how to be humble once you are doing well. ‘Thala’ basically means brother, so for me, it’s more the abstract of the fans, the love and affection towards me is the reflection of that. Whenever I am in Chennai or down south they never call me by my name they address me as ‘Thala’ and the moment someone calls me Thala they are showing their love and respect but at the same time he is a CSK fan.”
Sanjay Bangar spoke about the return of Dhoni exclusively on Return of the lion show on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports Tamil: “It is tough to find the rhythm initially but it can also be a huge advantage because when you are playing international cricket, the amount of pressure that you are under, you sort of getting into a tunnel vision with regard to various responsibility and the needs of the team. So from a player perspective if he has taken a break for 6-7 months he has a good chance to rediscover, refresh and reinvent”
Keeping in tune with the pulse of the fans, Star Sports has once again raised the standard of customised content ahead of the start of the 13th Season of VIVO IPL. India’s leading sports broadcaster will be broadcasting non-live programs with key players from all IPL teams to bring the fans closer to their stars allowing them to stay updated on all the cricketing action.
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