MS Dhoni is the 'king' of Chennai and whole of India: Chris Gayle

Chennai, Sep 9: West Indies' explosive batsman Chris Gayle admitted that he, like thousands of other fans, is missing Mahendra Singh Dhoni playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and described the limited overs captain as the "king" of Chennai and whole of India.

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CSK and Rajasthan Royals (RR) were suspended for 2 years from IPL due to corruption from team owners/officials. They are set to return to the league in 2018.

This year, Dhoni played for Rising Pune Supergiants. It was a forgettable season for the new team as they finished 7th in the 8-team tournament. They managed to win only 5 out of 14 league games. (Dhoni, Kohli great leaders: KL Rahul)

For the first time since IPL's inception in 2008, Dhoni was forced to don a different team's jersey other than CSK. Chennai fans are awaiting the return of their favourite leader and so is Gayle.

"MS (Dhoni) is king in both Chennai as well as India! It won't be long before he comes back to action (with CSK in the IPL). We have been missing him since the last two years," Gayle told Tamil Nadu Premier League's (TNPL) website. (Gayle to start his dancing show?)

Gayle was in Chennai recently on a two-day visit. He entralled his fans with his dance moves and watches TNPL matches. TNPL, a Twenty20 tournament, is in its first year.

The West Indian praised TNPL. He said, "It was a great experience and from what I gather it's a great tournament as well. It has the potential to be even bigger. The fact that only Tamil Nadu players can play is something which is according to the rules and regulations.

"But it's a great tournament and to be able to showcase it on TV is even better for the younger players. Also, this is a wonderful opportunity for a particular player to gain selection into the IPL as well. It's really good and I hope that it gets bigger and better."

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