Mumbai: Legendary Indian wicketkeeper-batter Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the only captain in international cricket history to have won the ODI World Cup, T20 World Cup, and Champions Trophy, turned 44 Monday.

Lovingly referred to as “Thala” by his fans, Dhoni is one of the most admired cricketers in the world. He currently plays for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), considered one of the most successful teams in the IPL. Dhoni is known for his calm mindset, even in the most intense pressure situations.

On the occasion of his birthday, let’s revisit an interesting fact from his IPL career. Did you know that in the first IPL auction in 2008, Dhoni was not CSK’s first choice? Yes, you heard it right. Team owner N. Srinivasan initially wanted to buy another player.

Chandrasekhar, who was the chief selector at that time, revealed this. He said, “Before the 2008 auction, N. Srinivasan asked me, ‘Who are you going to buy?’ I told him, ‘Dhoni.’ He asked, ‘Why not Virender Sehwag?’ Srinivasan’s first choice was the explosive batsman Sehwag.”

Chandrasekhar explained the utility of Dhoni, saying that Sehwag would not inspire the team to the same level as Dhoni. He felt Dhoni, being a captain, wicketkeeper, and batsman, had the potential to turn a match on its head.

Later, Srinivasan changed his mind and agreed to go for Dhoni, although he was concerned that other franchises might outbid CSK for him.

Chandrasekhar added that after analyzing the auction dynamics, they decided to raise their bid to $1.4 million while still trying to balance the team, as they had a total budget of only $5 million.

As the auction approached, there were rumours that Dhoni’s bid could reach $1.8 million. So, they decided that if the bidding for Dhoni crossed $1.5 million, they would back out since they needed funds to build the entire team.

Eventually, CSK bought Dhoni for $1.5 million. Since then, under Dhoni’s leadership, Chennai Super Kings have become one of the most successful teams in IPL history.

Today, Dhoni is not only the captain of Chennai Super Kings but also the face and brand of the franchise. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who led CSK to IPL titles in 2010, 2011, and 2018, remains one of the most admired and loved players in the tournament’s history.