The 14th edition of the Indian Premier League is less than a month away and while most of the Indian cricket team members will be lacing up to play for the eight prestigious franchises, Mahendra Singh Dhoni would return to become more than just a cricketer.

For days now, one of the top trends on Twitter is #DhoniReturns. The video of him landing in Chennai and making his way to the hotel was when the madness began and with every picture of him in the Yellow Army kit that finds its way online, more and more excitement revolves around the return of Thala.

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Ever since the inception of the Indian T20 League, Dhoni has been a part of Chennai Super Kings, barring of course the two seasons during which the team was suspended from the league.

Under his leadership, CSK has won the IPL three times and the Champions League T20 two times before the latter was discontinued at the end of the 2014 season. CSK has also been the runner-up five times and has made it to the playoff round every single year before 2020, making it the second most successful team in the league, only behind Mumbai Indians in terms of overall achievements.

It is therefore understandable why the team and the city love and absolutely adore ‘Captain Cool’ and when it is IPL season, Chennai turns yellow to welcome their skipper in the most extravagant ways possible.

Here are some of the most epic ways in which Chennai has welcomed Mahendra Singh Dhoni over the years:

Home Of Dhoni Fan View this post on Instagram

Yes, one of the biggest fans of the team, Gobikrishnan not only painted the house yellow with the team logo proudly covering the entire sidewall, but he also had Dhoni in the team jersey painted in the front with “Home Of Dhoni Fan” written in big bold letters just above the door.

Building Covered In Thalaiva Poster

Throwback when Ashok Leyland welcomed MS Dhoni in such a surreal manner

Mass icon @msdhoni 🥁#DhoniReturns pic.twitter.com/dhxrmNx7GW

— DHONI Trends™ (@TrendsDhoni) March 9, 2021

Ashok Leyland, the Indian multinational automobile company headquartered in Chennai had covered their entire building with Dhoni’s ‘Thalaiva’ posters back in 2012.

A Bike Rally View this post on Instagram

Returning to the league following a two-year ban in 2018, the CSK franchise organised an open-bus tour of the city with Dhoni standing right at the edge of the roof, waving to the fans. Quickly, a herd of CSK fans hopped on their bikes and rode along Thala while cheering him on.

City Turns Dhoni

Waiting for many such fantastic offline mass celebrations this season 🥁️ @msdhoni fans #DhoniReturns pic.twitter.com/F69Re7Y1wf

— DHONI Trends™ (@TrendsDhoni) March 9, 2021

Long banners of just Dhoni pictures could be seen covering entire residential buildings in every corner of the city. Full-blown posters of the former India skipper sitting on a royal chair as headshots of his teammates assemble next to him were positioned along the roads.

Deafening Reception At Practice Session

Whistle parakkum paaru! #ThalaParaak #WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/6EeMkYT0QY

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 17, 2019

Ahead of the 2019 season, back when the coronavirus had not struck yet, fans were allowed to attend CSK’s practice sessions at the Chepauk stadium and as soon as Dhoni stepped into the field, they roared in unison to welcome their captain.

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