MS Dhoni's alleged interest in buying a stake in CSK has been firmly denied by the franchise, which stated that there were no talks about the same with the former skipper.
A news report in this regard had mentioned that MS Dhoni had at first demanded 25 per cent share in the IPL outfit but later reduced his demand to 20 per cent. Thereafter, it was said that CSK offered him 5.5 per cent stake, which the cricketer declined. But it has now come out that the franchise has disowned the very report.
CSK denies MS Dhoni stake discussions
“MS Dhoni has never asked us about it. We never discussed the matter. We also don't have any information about him having discussed this with Mr N Srinivasan either,” a senior CSK official said to Cricbuzz.
MS Dhoni is a part of CSK and one of its most successful players, having won five IPL titles with the franchise. But, according to the report, the former India captain already owns more than one lakh shares in the company.
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As CSK is an unlisted company and its stocks are not available on the open market, such an ownership can be acquired through private, off-market purchases. It may be noted that more than 30 crore outstanding shares are owned by the public, which constitutes nearly 40 per cent of the franchise's total share capital. The family of former BCCI chief N Srinivasan owns more than 55 per cent of the total shares of the franchise.
According to the current evaluation of IPL franchises, MS Dhoni's stake in CSK could be valued at around Rs 2.6-3 crore. An IPL franchise was last sold for more than Rs 16,600 crore.
A former India batsman, Aakash Chopra, has reacted to the news on his YouTube channel, saying that the report does not make sense and questioning where the figure was taken from.
“There was talk of 1.7 to 1.8 billion when RCB were bought just now. Chennai Super Kings is the same kind of franchise. You can do the valuation however you want, but this is the franchise that has five trophies and has multiple franchises outside India as well,” he said.
Chopra further stated that it will be expensive to buy 25 per cent of CSK as the franchise already has a legacy.
“They have got a legacy and a lot going for them. Chennai Super Kings is a serious, serious brand. If it's worth 1.8 billion and Dhoni has asked for a 25 per cent stake in that, it is unrealistic. This isn't possible. No one gives 400 million to anyone. In fact, you have to invest 400 million to get a 25 per cent stake. It is a bizarre number. Nobody is going to give anyone 25 percent in an IPL team,” he added.
With CSK now denying that Dhoni ever approached them about a stake, the news of the deal does not seem to be true. Dhoni continues to be with CSK, the five-time champions of the IPL.