India's ODI captain and a stalwart of CSK, MS Dhoni is all set to leave his franchise after eight years
After eight long years' association with Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni is set to ply his trade for another team in the ninth edition of IPL, reported an English daily. Dhoni was almost synonymous with CSK and his involvement meant that Chennai Super Kings received a lot of support from states like Bihar and Jharkand.
The yellow brigade which had bought the most successful Indian captain for the highest price of $1.5 million (then worth about Rs 7.5 crore) at the first IPL auction in January 2008, has been suspended for two years for alleged involvement in match-fixing by it's official.
There was a lot of speculation about Dhoni presence in the upcoming IPL's as he had been a name which was synonymous to the CSK franchise, however a source confirmed that the right hander will surely be seen in the action in the IPL next year. "Dhoni will definitely feature in the IPL for a new team. There is absolutely no pressure from CSK to stop him ," the source revealed.
Related Read: Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals escape termination, two new teams to play IPL 9
The two buyers for the new season haven't yet been identified. But it's certain that Dhoni will be the No 1 target for both the new franchises owing to his brand value and match-winning abilities in T20 cricket. There is a possibility of six players from the banned teams CSK and Rajasthan Royals being inducted into the new franchises while the rest are likely to go into the auction pool.
If Dhoni continues to play after two years, then CSK will most probably try to buy him back. "We won't say Dhoni's association with CSK is over, but for now, he will play for some other team," the source added.
Related Read: IPL verdict: BCCI mulling options of 'reverse bidding' for two new teams
Meanwhile, Dhoni, who met former BCCI president N Srinivasan at his resident on Friday was criticised for doing so but the source informed that it was just a personal meeting between the two and they didn't have a discussion on CSK.
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