Dwayne Bravo MS Dhoni. Image Credits: X/AFP
The CSK Roar Event 2026 was a mega success. Much like RCB’s Unbox Event, the event was planned to celebrate the success of the franchise over the years, as several ex-cricketers were also honoured for their legacy in the team. However, this has also upset many fans, especially of KKR, SRH and GT over social media.
Apparently, the mentors and coaches of these franchises, namely Dwayne Bravo, Matthew Hayden, Parthiv Patel and Muttiah Muralitharan, attended the event as ex-CSK players and faced the heat from fans for their alleged ‘unloyalty’ to their current franchise.
Why Chennai Super Kings And Ex-Cricketers Faced Massive Backlash?
The CSK Roar 2026 event saw multiple programmes being conducted on March 22 at the Chepauk Stadium, where alumnus of the franchise were called and gave special tribute while also sharing the pitch for a friendly cricket session.
Dwayne Bravo, the current team mentor of the Kolkata Knight Riders and a former Chennai Super Kings cricketer, attended the event for which he had to face a lot of backlash. Bravo’s IPL career began with the yellow camp back in 2011 until he retired from the format in 2022 while leaving uncountable memories with the team.
Matthew Hayden, the current batting coach for Gujarat Titans, had his glorious days with Chennai since the inception of the league, for whom he scored 1,107 runs at an impressive average of 36.90 while playing only 32 matches. The CSK legend was also named as a Hall of Fame inductee for the yellow camp alongside Suresh Raina.
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Parthiv Patel, who was also a key part of the Chennai Super Kings franchise since the league’s inception, played for three seasons until 2010 and is currently the assistant batting coach for Gujarat Titans.
Sri Lanka's spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan is currently the spin bowling mentor for Sunrisers Hyderabad, but he too was a CSKian since the inception of the league before switching to Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2012.
CSK Clarifies ‘Franchise Betrayal’ After Fan Backlash
All of these legends, with their former allegiance to the Yellow camp, attended the the event upon special invitation from the franchise, but this agonised fans.
Clarifying the presence of these legends, the Kings issued an official statement on the invitation while thanking the franchises for allowing the management to attend the programme.
Taking to their official social media handle, the Kings wrote, “We appreciate @KKRiders @gujarat_titans @SunRisers for their support. It was lovely celebrating the evening with Dwayne Bravo, Matthew Hayden, Parthiv Patel and Muttiah Muralitharan.”
The special note of thanks sums up why the ex-cricketers were present in the event in the first place, despite their current role in other franchises of the Indian Premier League.
Chennai Super Kings Ready To Roar in IPL 2026
Nevertheless, CSK will be eager to bounce back from their slump. After finishing at the bottom of the table in IPL 2025, winning only four out of their 14 matches, they will look to start afresh.
They begin their campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 30, followed by a clash against Punjab Kings on April 3, and then a marquee encounter against RCB on April 5, before concluding their Phase 1 fixtures of IPL 2026 against Delhi Capitals on April 11.
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