I don’t usually write things like this. For almost 10 years of supporting CSK, I’ve seen highs, lows, trophies, heartbreaks, suspensions, comebacks — everything. But one thing I always felt proud of was that our fanbase celebrated our team more than we insulted others.
We saw legends from every franchise. We clapped for good cricket. We respected rival players. Win or lose, we moved on.
And now… a few bad seasons.
And suddenly every win against us feels like a final. Every gesture becomes a statement. Every celebration becomes “content.” Every camera angle becomes TRP material. The youngest players, who grew up watching this team dominate, now seem more excited about silencing CSK than simply celebrating for their own side.
Maybe this is rivalry. Maybe this is modern cricket. Maybe I’m being emotional.
But somewhere it hurts.
Because this isn’t just a franchise for many of us. This is Mahi bhai’s team.
And a strange thought keeps coming to my mind — is he watching all this? Sitting quietly somewhere, seeing opponents mock the yellow crowd that once shook entire stadiums? Seeing people forget what this team built over years?
The same team that people once feared, respected, admired.
We accepted losses. We accepted bad seasons. Cricket changes. Time changes.
But respect changing this quickly… that feels different.
Maybe that’s what hurts the most.
Still — next season, same jersey. Same whistle. Same hope.
Because if supporting a team only during trophies is loyalty, then we learned fandom from the wrong captain.
Whistle Podu. Always.
