There is no dearth of love between the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his admirers.
After winning his team their 5th IPL title on Monday, Dhoni spoke about the one thing everyone has been waiting with bated breath to hear.
'The amount of love I have received from CSK fans, it would be a gift for them to play one more season,' Dhoni said in the post-match presentation.
The mutual adoration the two parties hold for each other, naturally meant fans were over the moon when CSK defeated Gujarat to become IPL champions after after a thrilling final over.
From the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to social media platforms, CSK and Dhoni lovers could not keep calm. The internet was flooded with a sea of yellow visuals, of fans dancing, of fans crying, of fans basking in their idol's win.
As they exited the stadium late on Monday night, the Ahmedabad crowd could only muster few words, those being, CSK! CSK!' 'Dhoni! Dhoni!'
A video posted by a Twitter user showed fans lined up at 4:45 AM in the morning in Ahmedabad, chanting Dhoni's name as the CSK bus passed by them. Their joy overshadowed their fatigue.
While in another part of the country, euphoric fans lit firecrackers in the wee hours of the night, only one name on their lips, 'Dhoni! Dhoni!'.
In a viral video from VIT Vellore, a student watching the final moments of the game, lept up in joy after Ravindra Jadeja hit the last ball for a four, punching the floor and banging cupboard doors out of happiness.
The visionary cricketer has received an outpouring of adulation throughout IPL 2023 from fans across the country.
He echoed their sentiments, 'The way they've shown their love and emotion, it's something I need to do for them. It's the last part of my career.'