2024-02-21 11:32:00
Chennai: Chennai team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the first time after 16 years about the 2008 IPL bid.
The IPL series was first started in 2008. Before the first IPL auction then there was a rule that IPL teams could directly sign India’s top cricketers. Accordingly, Sachin Tendulkar was signed by Mumbai, Rahul Dravid by Rajasthan, Sourav Ganguly by Kolkata and Virender Sehwag by Delhi.
Another reason for the teams to contract in advance is another rule that existed at that time. Another rule is that if teams bid on other players for more than their star players, they must pay the star players 15 percent more than them. Because of this rule, the leading players agreed to direct contracts rather than auctions.
While leading players like Sachin were signed under this rule, Dhoni was the only one to go for the auction. He was signed to the Chennai team through the auction. Dhoni has revealed why for 16 years now. Speaking in this regard, he said, “Then a team approached me to buy me under this clause. I had to think about it and make a decision.
Since I was the captain of the team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup, I thought that if I went to the auction I would easily fetch up to $1 million anyway. So, I turned down the offer and went to the auction. I did it knowingly as a risk.
Even if two of the other three teams who didn’t sign star players were interested in me, I thought that would increase my price. Because if that happens then chances are I will get more money. Accordingly, when the auction took place, I was bid for the Chennai team for 1.5 million dollars (Rs. 6 crores then). At that time my prediction came true,” revealed Dhoni.
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