CSK owner N Srinivasan names team that nearly beat them in buying MS Dhoni before IPL 2008

MS Dhoni has been one of the most successful captains in the history of the IPL. The right-hander has led CSK to 8 IPL finals, which is the most for a captain. Dhoni, who was picked by the franchise in 2008, has played a massive role in CSK's success over the years. The people of Chennai have accepted MS Dhoni as one of their own, which is why the legendary cricketer is lovingly known as 'Thala' by the team's ardent supporters.

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N Srinivasan reveals how he bagged MS Dhoni at IPL 2008 auctions

There was an intense competition among all the eight teams to acquire MS Dhoni's services back in early 2008. The 39-year-old is the only player in IPL for whom all the teams bid. Recently, former BCCI President and co-owner of the CSK franchise, N Srinivasan revealed how his management team went all out to bag MS Dhoni, knowing that some of the other teams would be looking to go for ‘icon players’, who belonged to the region the teams represented.

Ahead of IPL 2008, five ‘icon players’ Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh – were unveiled for the tournament. The five players were not part of the auction and were supposed to earn 15 per cent more than the team’s highest-paid in the auction. MS Dhoni, who had captained the country to the 2007 T20 World Cup title just months prior to that, had to go under the hammer and was the second player to be bid for in the history of the tournament after Rajasthan Royals snared Shane Warne.

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While speaking to PTI, N Srinivasan said it is a question of arithmetic. He added at that time, the veteran cricket administrator Mr. Inderjit Singh Bindra was involved from Punjab so Kings XI Punjab wanted Yuvraj Singh to play for them. Delhi Daredevils wanted Virender Sehwag to play for them and Mumbai Indians could not imagine a team without Sachin Tendulkar.

Srinivasan reckoned therefore that since all of them said they wanted icons, they had to pay the icon 15 per cent than the highest-paid player of the team in the auction. Srinivasan stated that when the bidding went on for Dhoni, he was clear that he wanted Dhoni at any cost.

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Srinivasan opined that when the CSK captain's price came to $1.5 million (₹6 crore as of 2008), Mumbai Indians realised they would have to pay Sachin Tendulkar USD 1.65 million (₹6.6 crore) if they got Dhoni at that price. He went on to say that only $5 million (₹20 crore back then) was allowed to be spent on and sixty per cent of the purse would go on these two players. Srinivasan revealed that's why Mumbai Indians stopped and that’s how they got Dhoni because CSK could afford to spend for not having an icon player.

MS Dhoni went on to justify his whopping price tag. The former gloveman went on to become one of IPL’s most successful captains as he led CSK to three IPL titles in 2010, 2011 and 2018. Dhoni also guided CSK to Champions League T20 triumphs in 2010 and 2014.

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IMAGE COURTESY: AP