The M.A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) in Chennai is one of India’s most passionate cricket venues, and the home ground of the five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). However, attending both the CSK IPL fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the third ODI between India and Afghanistan has revealed how drastically the atmosphere at this stadium can change depending on which team is on ground.
One of the most noticeable differences was the crowd turnout and the arrival pattern. During the IPL clash, spectators had begun to occupy the stadium well before the toss and begun creating an energetic atmosphere. The stadium was packed, fans were whistling, and were eager to soak in every moment of the occasion. On the other hand, the India-Afghanistan ODI witnessed a slower build-up, with Afghanistan batting first, several stands had remained partially empty during their innings as spectators began to arrive halfway through their innings or once Afghanistan’s batting turn had come to an end. The venue became noticeably busier as India’s batting turn was approaching. Nonetheless, some sections still did not reach the capacity level seen during the CSK fixture.
Additionally, during the CSK versus SRH match, the crowd remained involved regardless of which team was batting. CSK flags were being waved, whistles were being echoed, chants for MS Dhoni could be heard even when he was not on the field. However, the ODI crowd displayed a more player-centric form of support.
During Afghanistan’s innings, most people were relatively quiet, and the most prominent moment was when their captain, Hasmatullah Shahidi, had smashed a century, that’s when the Chennai crowd rose to celebrate his maiden hundred in the ODIs. Anyhow, fans had erupted when Indian players fielding near the boundary came into view. Rohit Sharma in particular received tremendous support, while Prasidh Krishna had earned loud applause after dismissing the Afghanistan captain. At one stage, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Gurnoor Brar were present near the boundary, and multiple fans cheered for SRH in order to support Nitish, highlighting how IPL loyalties continue to influence even international fixtures.
As India’s innings began and Rohit walked onto the field, the energy inside the stadium considerably rose as supporters were vocally urging him towards a hundred. Even after his dismissal, the applause and cheers continued, and while Yashasvi Jaiswal was nearing his century, fans continued to cheer for Rohit. Interestingly, Virat Kohli’s name was also repeatedly heard despite him not featuring in the match, underlining the influence that India’s biggest stars continue to have on spectators.
There was a stark contrast in the visual landscape of the crowd as the IPL fixture saw a sea of yellow jerseys, and CSK flags and whistles. The ODI crowd, on the other hand, reflected the growing influence of the franchise culture. Fans were seen wearing the Indian team jerseys, and multiple supporters could be spotted wearing the Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru jerseys, while some were seen adorning yellow T-shirts, and the crowd appeared far more diverse than the IPL fixture.
During the CSK match, the stadium became a unified fortress displaying franchise loyalty. While, during the India game, the support was spread across individual stars. It was an equally exciting fan experience.
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