It was a defining moment in cricket history. On February 20, 2008, at Mumbai’s Oberoi Hotel, when auctioneer Richard Madley announced “Mahendra Singh (MS) Dhoni“, every single paddle in the room went up. What followed would shape the IPL’s biggest success story.
‘Smart’ MS Dhoni IPL auction sense
Unlike other Indian cricket stars who played it safe, MS Dhoni showed his sharp business sense early. While Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians), Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata Knight Riders), and Rahul Dravid (Royal Challengers Bangalore (back then)) became icon players of their local teams, Dhoni turned down a similar offer. “I knew I could fetch more money in the auction,” he later told Star Sports. This gamble would pay off spectacularly.
Every IPL franchises wanted MS Dhoni
Starting at a base price of $400,000 (around ₹1.6 crore), the bidding war for India’s captain was intense. Every franchise wanted him. But Chennai Super Kings (CSK), with N. Srinivasan in the auction room, showed fierce determination. The hammer finally fell at $1.5 million (approximately ₹6 crore) – nearly four times his base price!
‘The opening bid then we were selling in US dollars was at 400,000, and virtually, virtually everybody’s paddles went up. My folklore is that every franchise bid for Dhoni that day, I don’t remember that being the case. I mean, I can’t imagine that Rajasthan Royals would have bid for him, because they had already bought Shane Warne. But of course, there was interest from many franchises. And I’m sure if you spoke to them now, if you spoke to RCB and to MI, I’m sure that they were interested. But you could tell by the determination of the Chennai franchise, when Mr. Srinivasan was actually in the room that day,” Richard Madley told to CricTracker.
MS Dhoni IPL auction: Moment that changed cricket
“Once the hammer had dropped at that extraordinary price, I thought to myself that it was one of the most significant moments in the history of cricket,” recalls Madley. “It was the day that cricket changed forever.” That auction didn’t just buy CSK a player – it bought them a legend. Under Dhoni’s leadership, the team has won 5 IPL trophies and reached 10 finals in just 15 seasons. More importantly, he transformed from being India’s captain to Chennai’s beloved ‘Thala’.
The business impact has been equally impressive. Dhoni’s brand value crossed ₹1000 crore, making him one of India’s most marketable sports personalities. His jersey number 7 became a brand itself, and CSK’s value skyrocketed, with the team becoming IPL’s most followed franchise on social media.
More on IPL 2025
MS Dhoni ‘uncapped’ CSK player
Now at 43, retained by CSK for ₹4 crore in IPL 2025, Dhoni might be playing his last season. But his impact goes beyond numbers. He turned Chennai yellow into cricket’s royal colour and created the IPL’s most loyal fan base. Dhoni, who hung up his captaincy boots on the eve of IPL 2024, has been purely participating in the IPL, mostly as a wicketkeeper. He has reduced his role to just 10-15 balls per innings, and is not even expected to be part of the league for the next 3-4 years. Courtesy of this, CSK opted to exercise the new uncapped rule to retain their Thala for a mere Rs 4 crore.
As Richard Madley perfectly summed up that auction day: “A more significant moment in the history of cricket, I can’t remember. Things were never the same again. And I was there.” Indeed, that paddle raise didn’t just determine where Dhoni would play – it changed the entire landscape of cricket business in India.
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