It does hurt. 

One of the many admirable qualities of MS Dhoni is that he has never shied away from expressing disappointment. He has never been delusional. 

And last night was no exception to that. CSK is all but eliminated from the IPL this year and hopes now rest on permutations and combinations, which, if they end up in its favour, will be the most magical thing we have seen in ages. In simple words, it’s highly unlikely.

During the post-match ceremony last night, the captain admitted ‘it hurts’. He also talked about the inevitability of failure in cricket and made it clear that he will play the remaining matches. Because you know, ‘the captain can’t run away’. 

Keeping all of this in mind, and the fact that CSK has performed brilliantly under his leadership in the past, Dhoni’s fans have come out in his support. Overwhelmingly. Here are some reactions we found on Twitter. 

For CSK, the journey has been tough this year, performances sub-par, and the results disappointing. In many ways, it has been a test of loyalty for Dhoni’s fans – and they haven’t let him down.