Chennai: If Sachin Tendulkar had Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, M.S. Dhoni has H. Saravanan. Welcome to the world of super fans that go the extra mile to profess their love for cricket stars. Among Dhoni’s innumerable fans in India, Saravanan is a fanatic.
The 29-year-old is a constant in Chennai Super Kings’ matches in the IPL with his body painted in yellow and the name and number of his idol written on his chest. A curly wig completes his strange looks. Saravanan says it takes about five hours to complete the painting work on his body and he bears the pain for the sake of Dhoni.
“I grew up as a crazy fan of Tendulkar but India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup in 2007 under the captaincy of Dhoni changed my allegiance. I want to be Dhoni’s Sudhir,” he added. CSK fans raise a toast to Saravanan whenever they see him. Even the players of CSK know who he is. He was over the moon after CSK coach Stephen Fleming and opener Brendon McCullum acknowledged him before a practice session at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday.
Saravanan said an accident in 2010 brought him closer to Dhoni. “I was bedridden with a severe knee injury for six months after an accident in 2010. As a result, I watched every ball of the 2011 World Cup. Dhoni’s six that won the World Cup for India inspired me to do something for him. Watching Sudhir march with the national flag after the triumph also spurred me to do something similar,” he added. He started his journey as CSK super fan — with body paint and a wig — in the 2013 IPL season. The overwhelming support of fans motivated him to continue his new avatar.
“I spent around '50,000 from my pocket for all the home matches in 2013. Later I posted a message on Twitter for help and India Cements, sponsors of CSK, came forward to support me. They took care of the expenses to help me watch two Champions League matches in Ranchi the same season. TNCA secretary Kasi Viswanathan appreciated my work and agreed to bear the expenses for all the IPL matches of the India leg in 2014. I would also be travelling to Bengaluru to watch Champions League matches. I’m grateful to Mr Kasi Viswanathan,” said Saravanan.
The Dhoni fan rents a room in the city where CSK matches are held and two of his friends do the body painting. “I keep standing for nearly 11 hours during a match,” he said. There was some gain for Saravanan after all the pain. “I met Dhoni during a sponsor event in Bengaluru earlier this year. I was beside myself with joy when my hero said hello to me. He said he had seen me on TV. It was the most memorable moment of my life. Thanks to CSK manager Russell, I have also met Ashwin and Badrinath. The two were down to earth and spoke to me in Tamil.”
Saravanan has the blessings of his parents for his fanatical venture, even though some of his relatives make fun of him. “My entire office supports my passion. My manager grants me leave during match days. Above all, fans treat me like a star. They shout Dhoni, Dhoni when I enter the stands and vie with each other to take photographs with me. I also have a vibrant presence on social media,” he said.
His dreams include lifting the trophy after CSK’s triumph in the IPL and CL T20 besides travelling to Australia to see Dhoni lift the ODI World Cup next year.
