Dhoni's long-standing relationship with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has even crossed the line after new news of the former India's financial relationship with the team emerged recently. The team management had already denied that Dhoni was interested in buying a significant stake in CSK but now said that he never approached the team looking at acquiring a big stake in it.
At the same time, Dhoni already owns shares of Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited, so his relationship with the team is far more than just as its celebrated player. The new clarification has thus established a distinction between Dhoni having in the past owned shares of CSK and that he wants to buy a much larger stake in the team.
According to a senior CSK official, Dhoni has never approached the franchise to buy a stake and there hasn’t been any talks with the management about any such request. The official also said there is no evidence of Dhoni talking to former CSK owner N Srinivasan about an ownership arrangement.
This clarification came after media reports were made in reference to Dhoni looking to own a large percentage of the franchise. Some estimates even suggested 15 to 25 percent of the franchise. CSK has since denied that MS Dhoni was interested, and CEO Kasi Viswanathan had already referred to these claims that Dhoni wanted to buy a stake as being false.
So does Dhoni actually own shares in CSK? Yes, according to several reports, he does. More than one lakh shares in Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited are reported as owned by Dhoni. But this does not mean he owns a large controlling part of the franchise. One report estimated the value of his holding to be around ₹2.6 crore to ₹3 crore and another estimated his ownership to be only about 0.01-0.02 percent of the company.
The difference is significant as Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited is an unlisted company and the shares are not traded like stock shares of a company listed publicly on the stock market. The reports say that Dhoni acquired his shares when they were available for purchase and thus he has a very small interest in the franchise.
Dhoni’s association with CSK is much more than just a shareholding. He is still one of the most influential figures in the franchise’s history after winning five IPL titles as the captain of CSK. His leadership made CSK one of the most successful and recognizable teams in the tournament.
His status as a player is also strong and has also made him very influential in the CSK team. When Stephen Fleming left the captaincy of CSK the team gave Dhoni the task of finding the successor and it was reported that Dhoni has a liking for an Indian coaching team and India’s best candidate is Hemang Badani. The decision to choose a coach is the franchise’s, and not the player’s.
So the latest developments in recent times demonstrate that the Dhoni-CSK relationship is not only emotional but also financial as well, but that the claims that he is trying to hold a big stake in CSK are not to be confused with Dhoni's current minority ownership stake.
The clarification of course will eradicate one such rumor from CSK fans and also show how deeply Dhoni still belongs to the team. And whether he remains a player in the future or eventually plays a more significant role in the team, his association with Chennai Super Kings will remain an integral part of the team’s identity.
