The signing of MS Dhoni by Chennai Super Kings is one of the iconic events of the competition. Till date, the fans of the player, the franchise and neutral viewers remember that day. In this article, we take a look at the clip in which Chennai Super Kings won the bid for MS Dhoni in IPL 2008 Auction.
CSK signed MS Dhoni in IPL 2008 auction
Each franchise was given a purse of $5 Million and before the auctions, all of them had an option to pick an “Icon” player. The rule was that these players would be paid 15% more than the franchise’s biggest buy at the auctions. Chennai Super Kings did not choose an Icon player and came into the auction with a full purse.
MS Dhoni was a popular man then and given his home-town Ranchi did not have an IPL franchise, he was also looking for a home. Multiple teams such as Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore were interested in the player. Finally it came down to Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. It was CSK who won the bid for the player at $1.5 Million. Here is a throwback to the historic event below:
One of the iconic signings in IPL history
MS Dhoni has been worth every penny that CSK has invested in him so far. With the bat, MSD has scored 4746 runs at a strike rate of 135.83 while with the gloves, he has executed 161 dismissals. As a captain, Dhoni has brought four titles to the franchise. In the 204 games that he has captained the team so far, he has won 121 games for CSK.
While that has been his work on the field, the brand of MS Dhoni has helped CSK carve out its own image in the market. The player has crossed 40 but will still play IPL 2022. However, it is inevitable that it would last only a few years more. That will be the end of an unforgettable era in IPL history.
