"Our capacity crowd is about 50,000 and there would have been 48,000 MS Dhoni number seven shirts" - Justin Langer on 'hero worship' around CSK Legend
Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Justin Langer detailed his disbelief about the hero worship he saw with MS Dhoni during the home game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2024. With Dhoni possibly playing his final IPL season, crowds around the country flocked to the stadiums, home or away, chanting his name and wearing his No. 7 jersey.
The match in question at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow saw the 42-year-old smash 28 off nine deliveries with the aid of three boundaries and two maximums.
Talking on BBC Sport's podcast - Stumped, Langer detailed being amazed by the MS Dhoni phenomenon in India.
"It’s extraordinary. I heard about it first; then we played them [CSK] twice. They came to Lucknow, and our capacity crowd [in Ekana Stadium] is about 50,000, and honestly, there would have been 48,000 MS Dhoni number seven shirts. I couldn’t believe it, and then we went to CSK, and there wasn’t 98%; there was 100%. And it’s unbelievable. The hero worship in India is unbelievable," said Langer.
"And look, I felt it when we played in India before as a player, particularly with Sachin Tendulkar. Then, when I was coaching with [Australia], Virat Kohli, and MS Dhoni, But when you get over there, it’s unbelievable," he added.
Yet, to Langer's delight, LSG defeated CSK in both meetings this season by eight and six wickets, respectively.
Despite those results, LSG failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in three seasons since their debut.
"I saw the flip side of it as well because Rohit Sharma is a huge hero in India as India captain" - Justin Langer
Justin Langer felt Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Hardik Pandya suffered the flip side of the hero worship culture in India throughout IPL 2024.
The all-rounder replaced fan-favorite Rohit Sharma as MI skipper before this season, resulting in him being booed by the franchise fans across the country.
"And I saw the flip side of it as well because Rohit Sharma is a huge hero in India as India captain. And what happened with Mumbai Indians this year… Hardik Pandya took over as the captain from Rohit Sharma. The much-loved Rohit Sharma. And it was really sad to watch. You know, he got booed every game by the Indian crowds. He’s the vice-captain of the Indian T20I squad. So, I saw both sides of it. I learned this from Jonty Rhodes and Morne Morkel, who’d been to the IPL before. Rather than getting upset by it, go with the flow."
The lack of cohesion due to the captaincy switch meant MI finished as the bottom-feeders of IPL 2024 with only four wins in 14 outings.
Hardik previously led Gujarat Titans (GT) to a title and runners-up finish in 2022 and 2023 before moving to MI.