MS Dhoni and Virender Sehwag at the toss before an IPL match (File Photo/PTI)Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had initially wanted Virender Sehwag as their marquee player but went with MS Dhoni when the Delhi dasher said he wanted to play for the Delhi franchise in the IPL, revealed Subramaniam Badrinath, one of the players in the first CSK team.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath said, “The CSK management had decided (before IPL 2008) on picking Sehwag, but Sehwag himself said that he was brought up in Delhi, so he would have a better connection (with Delhi Daredevils).”
It was after Sehwag’s decision that CSK looked to MS Dhoni, who was then less than four years into his international career, to be their marquee player. Dhoni has continued to be the captain and face of CSK since then.
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“The management agreed for him (Sehwag) to play in Delhi, thinking it would be better. Then came the auctions, and they saw who was the better player. Before that India won the 2007 World T20. And only then did they decide to sign Dhoni,” Badrinath said.
Badrinath also said CSK ‘killed three birds with one stone’ in acquiring Dhoni before the inaugural IPL.
“One, he is one of the best captains the world has ever seen. There is no trophy that he doesn’t have. Second, the best finisher. And third, he is an excellent wicketkeeper. One of the best and safest keepers I have ever seen,” he said, laying out the advantages of having Dhoni.
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