Chennai Super Kings (CSK) owner N Srinivasan opened up about MS Dhoni’s love for Chennai and how he went to tour the city for the first time in 2008. Notably, Dhoni was picked up by CSK in the IPL 2008 auction and he went on to win four titles for the franchise.
Well, it is well-known to everyone that Dhoni is synonymous with Chennai and his emotional connection to the city is iconic. The legendary cricketer is surely the most loved cricketer in Chennai, which has only grown since his first visit to the city.
Revealing an incident from the past, Srinivasan revealed that Dhoni – who is a big fan of motorcycles and he has a variety of motorcycles in his garage – just disappeared once he got the keys to the bike.
N Srinivasan said in Sportstar Conclave: “From the first day, we gave him a bike, and he just disappeared. He drove all around the city. Why he grew on Chennai and why Chennai grew on him was because on matchday you will turn around and suddenly see him on his bike. He has traveled the length and breadth of the city. That, in his own way, has endeared him to the city.”
Explaining how he successfully bid for Dhoni in the first-ever IPL auction, Srinivasan said: “Mumbai was bidding up to 1.5 million for Dhoni. Then they realized that they have to give the icon player 10 percent [15 percent] more than what they give the most expensive player.”
He concluded, “They said 3.5 million, everything went, and they collapsed. And that is how MS Dhoni came to Chennai. It was 100 percent arithmetic. No other reason why we got him [Dhoni]. The anxiety to get their [other franchises] favorite player was greater than their arithmetic.”
(With Sportstar Inputs)
