Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday, February 20 celebrated 16 years of MS Dhoni in the IPL with a wordy tribute to their captain. 16 years ago, on this date, the Super Kings secured the services of the then India limited-overs captain for a whopping sum of USD 1.5 million – a move that would make the franchise one of the finest in T20 cricket history.
“Done it all, but not done yet,” Chennai Super Kings wrote in a social media post, sharing a photo collage of Dhoni from 2008 and the title-winning skipper from 2023.
MS Dhoni is all set to return to lead Chennai Super Kings for the 14th season in IPL history. The Ranchi wicketkeeper, who led the team to their fifth title in 2023, had confirmed that he would play IPL 2024 and his commitment to another season was a return gift to fans who had supported him over the years. Dhoni underwent knee surgery shortly after the IPL last year and has worked hard on his rehabilitation. The 42-year-old has begun training for IPL 2024 and has been spotted multiple times at the nets at the Jharkhand Cricket Association Stadium in Ranchi.
It all began in the auction room in Mumbai on February 20, 2008 when Chennai Super Kings won the bidding war for MS Dhoni. After having not picked an icon player, unlike most other teams, CSK went all-out to buy Dhoni, whose reputation as a captain was growing after the T20 World Cup triumph in the previous year.
From a base price of USD 400,000, MS Dhoni was bought for Rs 1.5 million by CSK as it made the costliest buy at the auction ahead of the inaugural season.
In fact, MS Dhoni was not Chennai Super Kings’ first-choice player as former BCCI chief and owner of CSK wanted the team to buy Virender Sehwag at the auction. However, it was late cricketer VB Chandrasekhar who convinced Srinivasan that CSK would spend the money on Dhoni.
“Before the auctions in 2008, Mr. N Srinivasan asked me, “Who are you going to pick?” I said Dhoni. He asked, “Why not Virender Sehwag?” I said Sehwag would not provide me with the kind of inspiration that the crowd will be looking forward to, whereas Dhoni is a captain [he was new as India’s limited-overs captain then], a wicket-keeper and a batsman who can change the match situation on his own. So I asked him if I could look for him,” Chandrasekhar had told Sportskeeda in 2019.
“He said, “I would rather have Sehwag.” But the next day morning, he came and said, ‘Go and get Dhoni’,” he added.
Dhoni made an immediate impact as he led Chennai Super Kings to the final in 2008. He made Chennai his second home, forming an envious bond with the fans of the sport in Tamil Nadu. However, Dhoni had to play for Rising Pune Supergiant when the Super Kings were suspended for 2 years over betting charges.
Dhoni’s affection for CSK was palpable even before the 2018 season commenced. He expressed his love for the team through an Instagram post, showcasing his deep connection with the franchise and its fans.
Under Dhoni’s captaincy, CSK has clinched the IPL title five times — 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023. Dhoni was uncharacteristically emotional in the IPL 2024 final as he went on to lift his teammate Ravindra Jadeja, who hit the winning runs in a thriller against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
