Regarded as one of India's greatest cricketers, MS Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020.
Few days later, reports of Dhoni owing Rs 1,800 to the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) were doing the rounds.
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Hurt by the JSCA’s claim of the former skipper owing money, Dhoni’s fans raised funds in order to clear the dues on his behalf.
However, when they tried to submit the draft at JSCA's registered office in Jamshedpur on Saturday (September 5), it was not accepted.
Speaking to IANS, JSCA secretary Sanjay Sahay confirmed that the draft was not accepted, but rather strangely did not clarify whether Dhoni has paid his dues.
According to the report, the Rs 1800 dues is mentioned in the JSCA's annual report 2019-20 that has recently been published. However, the report gives no other detail of the dues except that this amount was "receivable" from one of India's most successful captains. Later, Sahay apparently clarified that it was actually the GST amount that Dhoni has to pay on his JSCA life membership fee of Rs 10,000.
Meanwhile, former cricketer and activist Shesh Nath Pathak, part of a group of people who tried submitting the draft at JSCA's registered office, told IANS: "Some school kids and Dhoni's fans collected the money and got a draft made of Rs 1800. But when I, along with some other people, went to the JSCA office to deposit it, they refused to take it - perhaps on someone's instructions -- and gave an acknowledgement receipt. We were advised we could send it by post."
Sahay asked if Dhoni had authorised those people to deposit the amount.
"If someone has to do something he is free to do that. He can't be stopped. Suppose I authorise someone to pay fees or money on my behalf, only then can that person pay it, isn't it? Did Dhoni authorise these people to pay his dues? My permission (to accept the draft) is not needed in this; the permission of the person who is supposed to pay dues is required - that they could deposit the dues on that person's behalf. Isn't it? Otherwise, anyone can come and offer to pay the dues of anyone," Sahay told IANS.
When enquired if Dhoni has submitted his dues, Sahay replied: "I can't tell you that. This issue is between us (JSCA) and the person who is to pay the dues. The JSCA annual report is up to March 31, 2020. Who knows whether he has paid his dues after March 31? Only I know; no one else knows this. This is an internal matter of the association. So, let it be with the association."
