Dhoni reality check — what the Super Kings faithful dreaded

For those who love yellow, Chepauk is heaven on earth when Chennai Super Kings come calling. All roads leading up to the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in the Tamil Nadu capital are draped in an endless sea of yellow, the colour of the franchise which has won the Indian Premier League a joint record five times. On match days, thousands flock the venue, trooping in by various modes of transport, proudly wearing the team’s jersey, blowing yellow whistles with abandon and waving the franchise flag uninhibitedly.

Every match evening, a ritual that precedes the arrival of the buses carrying the players to the ground. Outside Gate No. 2 on the Victoria Hostel Road, through which the buses of both the home and the away outfits enter the stadium premises, Leo, the affable mascot, is joined by numerous drum-beating individuals who summon admirable intensity in the extreme humidity, their efforts peaking to a crescendo as the buses near the entry gate. ‘Snake bombs’ emitting yellow smoke add to the drama, the acrid, pungent smell causing throats to burn and eyes to tear up, but that doesn’t stop hundreds from whipping out their cell phones and capturing videos for posterity, even though they are often greeted by walled up windows and therefore no sighting of their heroes.