MS Dhoni gets a huge cheer whenever he walked in to bat usually.
When MS Dhoni comes out to bat, the energy in the stadium rises and the crowd noise gets more shrill than ever. But it isn't possible in IPL 2020 because of COVID-19. Crowds are not allowed to enter the stadium during the pandemic.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) batsman Sanju Samson said it was very strange for him to watch Dhoni coming out to bat without a loud cheer when they played against each other. Rajasthan had faced Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their first match of the tournament.
Samson wanted to clap for Dhoni when he walked into Sharjah. "One thing I noticed was when Mahi bhai came in, any matches I have played against him, I think whenever they say the 'next batsman is Mahendra Singh Dhoni', I think you don't hear anything else, you just listen to the crowd and that amazing crowd noise they make for him."
ALSO READ: IPL 2020: WATCH- Sachin Tendulkar lauds Sanju Samson’s gravity defying blinder of a catch
"I think this time when they announced the name that was really standout for me. No one was cheering, no one was there to cheer him up," Samson told BBC Test Match Special.
When asked if Sanju wanted to cheer for Dhoni, he replied, "Yeah, I wish I could." The youngster has often praised the former India captain in his interviews.
Samson was the star performer in the clash against CSK and he scored 74 to make a difference between the two sides. They won the match by 16 runs and Dhoni was criticized for coming lower in the batting order.