5 reasons why CSK has such a mass following
Chennai Super Kings have been one of the most followed sports team in India. The fanfare when they take the field and the disappointment when they don't is unparallel. The team has been led by India's most successful wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Chennai Super Kings did not get an icon local player at the inaugural IPL edition in 2008 like Rahul Dravid (RCB), Sachin Tendulkar (MI) and Sourav Ganguly (KKR), still through auctions and strategized team building, it carved a niche of its own in coming years.
Chennai Super Kings have managed to build a cult-like following. This article tries to explain the possible reasons for the growth of such die-hard fans across the country for Chennai Super Kings in the last one decade.
#1 What is change? We only know legacy
IPL governing council and the franchises have always supported the need to retain the core group of players so that the fan loyalty stays on. Chennai Super Kings have lived and played by this mantra of retaining their 'stable core'. Fans have had the opportunity to support their favorite CSK players consistently over seasons.
Captain Cool: In the history of Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings is the only team to have been lead by the same captain in all its seasons. This was when veteran stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid had all captained their respective teams and have retired. Whereas MS Dhoni will still be leading CSK for the record 9th season as its undisputed captain.
Players: CSK has always tried to retain its core through the seasons and in its playing XI. Players like Suresh Raina (132 matches), Ravichandran Ashwin (97 matches), Subramaniam Badrinath (95 matches), Ravindra Jadeja (70 matches), Murali Vijay (64 matches) have formed their backbone in multiple editions.
Overseas players like Stephen Fleming, Mike Hussey who played for CSK in the inaugural IPL season in 2008 are still around as support staff. Even the local lad Lakshmipathy Balaji is retained as their bowling coach.The camaraderie of this team is something envious to every professional cricketer.
Jersey: Even their jersey has undergone the least changes compared to other teams in the IPL. The India Cements as their t-shirt sponsor has been a regular feature, whereas teams like RCB has seen around 15 changes in its sponsors. So definitely the motto is 'Old is Gold' to maintain a loyal fan base.