Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers
Description
Do you support the team or the player? Can you support either one without the other? In India, teams have tried hard to build loyalty. Some like the Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore have managed to build a fiercely loyal fanbase. They have done it primarily by retaining three of the biggest names in India cricket -- Dhoni, Rohit and Virat Kohli. Fans instantly knew which team they were backing and why.
Some of the other teams have hoped that individual players might draw fans in for their teams. It hasn't always worked but the aim has always been to try and find a leader or a player who will form an instant connect with all that the team stands for.
There are times when a new team forms a natural bond with its fans. And that was seen in the case of Gujarat Titans, a homegrown captain in Hardik and reaching the final in the first two seasons. The team lacked the mega stars but their performance won them many admirers. But when Hardik decided to move to MI ahead of this season, Gujarat fans were aghast. Why was he leaving a winning unit? Was he leaving Gujarat up a creek without a paddle? Did he not care about them at all?
On Hardik's part, the economic reasoning for the move was more than sound. Having been part of MI for many years, he also knew the management and the owners. It made sense. But try explaining that to the fans.
One might argue that fans are increasingly shifting their loyalties from clubs to individual sports stars. At Gujarat, following his success in the first two years, Hardik was in a position to increase his fan following to a point where it could have rivalled the big three in a few years. But by moving to MI, he and his fan base is clashing with the die-hard fans of Rohit, Bumrah and Surya and winning that battle is a tall order.
MI also needs to be careful of being able to retain its fans after the mega auction next year. If Rohit chooses to move away, then so could many of his fans.
This has happened in other sports as well. When LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat in 2010, it marked a turning point in the concept of fan loyalty. Data analysis revealed a signifi
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