Picture Credit: Twitter
The craze of IPL in India has touched levels that simply cannot be described into words. Since the cash-rich league brings together so many cricketing superstars on one single pedestal, the enthusiasm and excitement among cricket fans knows no bounds. As we look back, it surely gave some unforgettable moments to rejoice. The stadiums across the country have been flooding, with fans rooting their hearts out for their favourite team and players. However, time and again there have been moments throughout the season when a few fans stood out for their unwavering dedication and sheer love for their cricket superstars.
Here are the top seven fan moments in the IPL 2023 that stole the limelight like a mischievous magician.
1. Virat Kohli fan travels from Orlando to Hyderabad
The former India and Royal C hallengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli enjoys one of the biggest fan bases across the entire sporting industry. One such sight was seen during the SunRisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore game on May 18, when a fan travelled all the way from Orlando to Hyderabad to see Virat Kohli play live. Holding a poster that proclaimed, “8985 miles… Orlando to Hyd… Just to see you, Virat," speaks volume about the fandom the Delhi-born has for him.
2. Man sells his bike, travels from Goa to Bengaluru to see MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni is undoubtedly one of the biggest reasons behind the jam-packed cricket stadiums this year. The chants during Chennai’s games are the loudest when the skipper, and everyone’s absolute favourite, MS Dhoni comes into bat. The same happened during one of the games between CSK and Royal Challengers Bangalore, and among them stood out a fan who had sold his bike and travelled all the way from Goa to see the man in jersey number seven bat. The die-hard MS Dhoni fan had come all prepped and was holding a poster that read “I sold my bike just to see Thala Dhoni all the way from Goa.”
3. RCB fans travels 2000 km from Nepal to Bengaluru
The dedication that fans have to watch the favourite team play live was exemplified when a group of fans travelled from Nepal to Bengaluru earlier this season. The fans proudly displayed a poster adorned with the RCB logo and pictures of different cricketers, which read, “Travelled 2376 km all the way from Nepal to Bengaluru…(just) to live the dream.”
4. Fan travels from New York to Bengaluru for MS Dhoni
The passion to see MS Dhoni drove a fan to great heights and he flew all the way from New York to Bengaluru during Chennai Super Kings’ match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. The fan had come well-prepared for the occasion with a banner that read, “Flew from New York to Namma Bengaluru for Dhoni.”
5. Fan drops semester exams for his favourite cricketer, MS Dhoni
In another incident, a fan from Maharashtra missed his exams to attend a game between CSK and SunRisers Hyderabad. The fan didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to see MS Dhoni play live as there have been speculations that he might retire from the IPL post this season. He was holding a poster that read, "I drop my sem exam for Mahi bhai. The exam can be given next year but Mahi bhai will not be playing next IPL. Love from Maharashtra."
6. No Dhoni, No Cricket- Fan stopped watching international cricket after World Cup 2019 semifinal
For Dhoni’s fans, cricket starts at their 'Thala', and ends at him. The newest testament of it was a fan who was seen holding a special placard announcing that he hasn’t watched any international match post World Cup 2019 semifinal. Notably, it was MS Dhoni’s last international game, where India ended up losing it to New Zealand. The placard read, "Haven’t watched international cricket since the 2019 World Cup semi-final. No Dhoni No Cricket."
7. Fan requests Ravindra Jadeja to lose his wicket so that MS Dhoni comes out to bat early
In one of the fixtures of the IPL 2023, when Kolkata Knight Riders took on Chennai Super Kings at Eden Gardens, a fan was spotted with a hilarious poster requesting Ravindra Jadeja to lose his wicket early. Since Dhoni has demoted himself below Ravindra Jadeja this year, fans hope for a quick fall of the wicket so that they can see the CSK skipper bat. The poster of the fan read, "Jaddu, Can you please lose your wicket on the first ball? We want to see Mahi.