IPL 2023: Chennai Super Kings owner N Srinivasan had a concrete, yet simple plan to sign MS Dhoni at the IPL 2008 auction. He did not go after stars like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, who were the icon players. That paved the way for CSK to sign MS Dhoni for a whopping $1.5 million at that time. Follow IPL Live updates with InsideSports.IN
“Punjab wanted Yuvraj Singh, Delhi wanted Virender Sehwag, Bangalore Rahul Dravid, Mumbai Sachin Tendulkar. They asked me, I said no. My father taught me some arithmetic. I figured out if 1.5 million out of five went to the icon players – then what are you left with to get the rest of the 22 players,” N Srinivasan was quoted as saying in Sportstar.
IPL 2023: Chennai Super Kings owner reveals how IGNORING Tendulkar & Ganguly helped him sign MS DHONI in IPL 2008 auction
IPL 2023: Chennai Super Kings owner reveals how IGNORING Tendulkar & Ganguly helped him sign MS DHONI in IPL 2008 auction
“The reason I felt very confident was I felt the other people did not know arithmetic. They had said that they will give 10 percent [15 percent] more to the icon player, because they all wanted an icon,” he added.
IPL 2023: How did CSK sign MS Dhoni?
- Other teams like Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians went for icons like Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar respectively.
- With no icon player around in Tamil Nadu at that point in time, Chennai Super Kings did not go for an icon player.
- It meant that they had more money to splurge on Dhoni, who went on to become a mega icon for Chennai Super Kings.
- As per the rule, teams had to pay icon players around 15 percent more money than the highest-paid player at the auction. It gave CSK the upper hand too.
- It was first bidding war in IPL auction and the centre of attraction was MS Dhoni.
- MS Dhoni just won India the T20 World Cup and he was in demand.
Indian Premier League: Chennai Super Kings owner reveals how ignoring Tendulkar, Ganguly helped him sign MS DHONI in IPL 2008 auction
IPL 2023: How CSK won the race to Dhoni’s signature: Srinivasan revealed how simple arithmetic played an important role in helping CSK attain the services of Dhoni.
“Mumbai was bidding up to 1.5 million for Dhoni. Then they realised that they have to give the icon player 10 percent [15 percent] more than what they give the most expensive player. They said 3.5 million, everything gone, and they collapsed. And that is how MS Dhoni came to Chennai. It was 100 per cent arithmetic. No other reason why we got him [Dhoni],” N Srinivasan explained.
The arithmetic plans of Srinivasan has borne mega fruit with CSK winning the title four times since its inception.
Indian Premier League: Chennai Super Kings owner reveals how ignoring Tendulkar, Ganguly helped him sign MS DHONI in IPL 2008 auction
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