MS Dhoni Wanted a Stake in CSK? Franchise Breaks Silence on Ownership Rumours
CSK has denied reports that MS Dhoni approached the franchise to buy a larger stake, while Cricbuzz reports that the former captain already owns more than one lakh CSK shares.
Former India captain MS Dhoni has once again found himself at the centre of a Chennai Super Kings ownership story, but the franchise has moved quickly to deny reports that he approached the management about buying a larger stake.
According to a report by Cricbuzz, a senior CSK official said there had been no discussion with Dhoni regarding a stake purchase and that the franchise was also unaware of any such conversation between Dhoni and former CSK owner N Srinivasan.
The clarification comes after reports suggested that Dhoni was interested in increasing his ownership in the IPL franchise.
CSK Denies Any Stake-Buying Proposal
A senior CSK functionary firmly rejected the reports, saying Dhoni had never approached the franchise about buying a stake.
The official also said the management had not discussed the matter with Dhoni and had no information that he had separately discussed it with N Srinivasan.
This effectively puts a question mark over reports of negotiations between Dhoni and the franchise for a larger ownership position.
However, there is an important detail behind the speculation: Dhoni does already own shares in CSK.
Dhoni Owns More Than One Lakh CSK Shares
Information cited by Cricbuzz indicates that Dhoni acquired shares in Chennai Super Kings when they were available for purchase.
He reportedly holds more than one lakh shares, although that represents only a very small portion of the franchise’s overall shareholding. CSK is an unlisted company, meaning its shares are not traded on the regular stock market and can instead change hands through private, off-market transactions.
The public reportedly holds more than 30 crore outstanding shares, accounting for close to 40% of CSK’s total share capital, while the Srinivasan family continues to hold a controlling stake of more than 55%.
Based on recent IPL franchise valuations, Dhoni’s existing holding has been estimated at roughly ₹2.6 crore to ₹3 crore.
Dhoni Remains Important to CSK
Even though Dhoni is no longer the team’s captain, his influence within the franchise remains significant.
The CSK management is currently working on decisions surrounding the team’s next coaching setup following the departure of long-serving head coach Stephen Fleming. According to the report, the franchise is waiting for Dhoni’s return before moving ahead with key decisions involving the coaching position and other squad matters.
The ownership rumours therefore come at an interesting time for CSK. While there is no confirmed evidence of Dhoni seeking a larger stake, his existing shareholding gives him a direct financial connection to the franchise he led for many years.
For now, the message from CSK is clear: there have been no discussions with Dhoni about him buying a larger stake, even though the former captain already owns a small shareholding in the franchise.
