Former India batter Ambati Rayudu has issued a strong response amid criticism over him fanboying on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) icon MS Dhoni. Rayudu, who played six seasons for CSK, has been getting a lot of negative messages on social media for his continued support towards the franchise and Dhoni. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Rayudu broke his silence on the matter, once again declaring himself as a fan of ‘Thala’. Rayudu also lashed out at fans, adding that none of their hate messages would change his opinion.

“I was a Thala’s fan. I am a Thala’s fan. I will always be a Thala’s fan. No matter what anyone thinks or does. It will not make a one percent difference. So please stop spending money on paid pr and donate that to charity. Lot of underprivileged people can benefit,” Rayudu posted on X.

I was a Thala’s fan
I am a Thala’s fan
I will always be a Thala’s fan.

No matter what anyone thinks or does. It will not make a one percent difference.

So please stop spending money on paid pr and donate that to charity. Lot of underprivileged people can benefit.

— ATR (@RayuduAmbati) April 10, 2025

Meanwhile, formrer CSK wicketkeeper-batter Robin Uthappa has advised Dhoni to bat slightly up the order.

“I don’t think there was ever a lack of intent from MS Dhoni. Even outside the IPL, I believe he has passed on responsibility to others and given them a clear understanding of what to expect in the coming years as CSK rebuilds into a championship-contending side. That transition is happening, and while we would love to see MS bat the way he is right now, perhaps a little higher up the order, I don’t think the problem lies at the end,” Uthappa said on JioHotstar.

Uthappa also shared his thoughts on CSK’s performance against PBKS and said, “They started well, scoring almost 9.8 or 9.9 runs per over, which is as good as you can expect with the kind of openers they have. But you can’t let the game slip in the middle overs, especially when chasing a big total. The approach in the overs from 7 to 12 was very quiet.

“You need big overs right after the powerplay to keep the pressure on the opposition. Winning the powerplay is one thing, but owning the middle overs is what wins you games and they failed to do that, again.

“In the last two overs, they needed 42 runs, which is just too many. Had they managed a couple of 15 to 20-run overs in the middle, that equation could have come down to needing just 22 to 25 runs at the end. The intent just wasn’t there,” he added.

CSK will now face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their next match on Friday.

(With IANS Inputs)