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The IPL is one of the biggest sporting spectacles in India, and it is a very well-known fact that apart from being a sports league, the IPL is one of the biggest sports businesses in the world. After India’s T20 World Cup win in 2007, the storm of limited overs cricket, especially T20 matches had taken over the entire country. Capitalizing on India’s recent World Cup triumph, the IPL was born. And since then it has grown to become one of the biggest sporting leagues in the world. The evolution of the IPL is a very interesting case-study as it showcases how the franchise-based tournament has kept on evolving to cater to the changing needs of a very big consumer base in India and abroad as well. And one of the biggest stakeholders of this ecosystem, which are the players in this league, also serve as examples of elite sports marketing and branding.
MS Dhoni-Sachin Tendulkar
MS Dhoni remains to be one of the most renowned and decorated cricketers to play for India. And his cricketing influence is not only limited to the national team as he has been a main-stay figure for the IPL franchise; Chennai Super Kings. Having made his debut in 2008, Dhoni has been at the team for 17 years now, and is arguably one of the most popular players of not only CSK but also the entire IPL franchise. With over 5000 runs scored in the IPL and around 200 dismissals behind the stumps, nobody can question Dhoni’s cricketing ability for the Chennai franchise. However in recent times with the player turning 43, which is ideally an age where cricket players retire from the sport, there has been some talk and scrutiny around the inclusion of Dhoni in the CSK team.
Ravindra-Jadeja-and-MS-Dhoni
Dhoni, who was retained as an uncapped player by CSK, has previously led the team to 5 IPL titles, making him one of the most successful players of this tournament. Although he is not the captain of the Chennai franchise anymore, his slot in the team as a wicket-keeper batsman is still intact after 17 years. Dhoni has repeatedly shown his brilliance behind the stumps with some laser-sharp reflexes but his overall batting performance and impact on the team’s dynamics has been dwindling down since the last couple of seasons. And there has been criticism related to this by multiple cricket pundits.
Sanjay-Manjrekar-and-MS-Dhoni
A recent example of this would be Sanjay Manjrekar’s comments about MS Dhoni in the RCB vs CSK game of IPL 2025. While chasing a big target of 196, CSK were reduced to 80/6 in 12.5 overs due to the brilliance of the RCB bowling attack. And the biggest question on everyone’s mind was; where is the master finisher MS Dhoni? And to everyone’s surprise, the player to walk out onto the field to bat next was R. Ashwin while Dhoni only came out to bat at number 9 when CSK needed 97 runs from just 4 overs, a seemingly impossible task. CSK ended up losing the match by 50 runs, with RCB picking up their first win at the Chepauk after 2008. And while Dhoni does not have to take the blame for this loss, the big question remains; why did Dhoni not come out to bat early in that situation of the match?
MS-Dhoni
Even though he joined the team late, he delivered an impressive 30* off just 16 balls, showcasing his rapid batting skills. However, Manjrekar questioned Dhoni’s position in the playing XI. He suggested that Dhoni’s inclusion on the team is largely driven by commercial interests. He stated, “I maintain my stance this season that Dhoni’s presence in the team is more about brand value than cricketing value.” “That’s the decision CSK has made; he attracts fans and has an enormous following,” Manjrekar remarked.
CSK-and-MS-Dhoni-fans
Such incidents raise the question on whether Dhoni really adds any cricketing value to the team or is simply included for boosting the team’s brand value. It is a well-known fact that the majority of the fans of the Chennai franchise are huge admirers of the Indian wicket-keeper batsman, and this could serve as a reason for the team’s management to include him in the squad. In fact there have been several instances where CSK fans can be seen cheering their own team player’s wicket going down just for the fact that the next batter to come in is MS Dhoni. This also raises the question of whether the franchise’s fans will continue to support the team in the same way after the departure of MS Dhoni and what marketing and branding strategy will the Chennai franchise resort to in order to attract and engage fans after the retirement of their beloved Thala!
by- Adit Waikul
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