'Thala for a reason' - The viral MS Dhoni social media trend explained

The internet is currently witnessing a delightful trend known as 'Thala for a Reason,' where fans of the legendary cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, fondly called 'Thala', are ingeniously associating his iconic jersey number 7 with diverse and whimsical facets of life.

Enthusiastic fans are linking the revered number 7 to a myriad of concepts, ranging from the seven colours of the rainbow to the seven sacred vows in a Hindu marriage. This imaginative wave extends to counting letters in names and film titles, all playfully falling under the banner of 'Thala for a reason.'

The cricketer himself has clarified that the significance of the number 7 lies in his birthdate, July 7, and holds a special place in his heart devoid of any superstitions.

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What did MS Dhoni say?

“A lot of people initially thought that 7 is a lucky number for me and all of that. But I chose the number for a very simple reason. I was born on the 7th of July. So it’s the 7th day of the 7th month, that was the reason,” Dhoni clarified during a virtual interaction held by India Cements.

“Rather than getting to all the different things as to what number is a good number and all, I thought I would use my date of birth as the number. Then whenever people kept asking me, I kept adding to the answer. 81 was the year, 8-1 is again 7, and 7 is a very neutral number. People kept telling me, I started absorbing it and I started telling it to others in the same way,” he further said.

How did social media react to 'Thala for a reason' trend?

The message is clear. Thala for a reason 👑7️⃣ pic.twitter.com/cTRH1g2b1S

— Google India (@GoogleIndia) December 12, 2023

CHENNAI
CRICKET
WHISTLE
YELLOVE

IYKYK 🦁😉

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) December 11, 2023

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by YouTube India (@youtubeindia)

1 pizza has 6 slices
1+6 = 7, thala for a reason😎#DominosIndia pic.twitter.com/4UpAyN8j1R

— dominos_india (@dominos_india) December 11, 2023

Jio turned 7 this year.💙

Thala for a reason. pic.twitter.com/uUUdr5DoK5

— Reliance Jio (@reliancejio) December 12, 2023

PRIME

(16 + 18 + 9 + 13 + 5)

[(1 + 6) + ( 1+ 8) + 9 + (1 + 3) + 5]

[7 + 9 + 9 + 4 + 5]

[34]

[3 + 4]

7

Thala for a reason 👑

— prime video IN (@PrimeVideoIN) December 10, 2023

blinkit has 7 letters, the message is clear. thala for a reason 💪🏻

— Blinkit (@letsblinkit) December 10, 2023

The reason is clear, #THALA for a reason#ThalaForAReason #MSD #Number7 pic.twitter.com/t0l8QkENWV

— Bajaj Capital (@mybajajcapital) December 11, 2023

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MS Dhoni's IPL salary progression since 2008

Having been retained by CSK for every single season, Dhoni was unsure whether he would play in 2024, although he did say he didn't want to say a premature goodbye when asked about his future in the presentation ceremony after the 2023 final.

If you see, this is the best time to announce my retirement. But with the amount of love and affection I have been shown wherever I have been this year, the easy thing would be for me to say 'Thank you very much,' but the tough thing for me is to work hard for another nine months and come back and play at least one more season of the IPL. A lot depends on the body; I have 6-7 months to decide. It will be more like a gift from my side; it’s not easy for me, but that’s a gift. The way they’ve shown their love and affection, I think that’s something I need to do for them.

However, CSK's retention list confirmed that Dhoni will be donning the famous yellow jersey for at least another season.

As mentioned earlier, CSK signed Dhoni for $1.5 million (INR 6 Crore). He was the highest-paid player in the 2008 IPL auction, with his price surpassing the salary paid for the icon players. 

In IPL 2024, Dhoni will be paid INR 12 Crore. 

By the end of IPL 2024, Dhoni's 17th season, he will have earned a total IPL salary of INR 188.84 Crores, averaging a salary of INR 11.11 Crore per season. 

All fans, not just CSK fans, will hope that Dhoni bids adieu in fashion if IPL 2024 is indeed going to be his last-ever season. Let's not forget that he is already 42 and will be just weeks away from turning 43 when the next edition of IPL finishes. 

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