S Badrinath made a Shocking Claim on MS Dhoni
Former CSK batsman S Badrinath has made a new revelation that CSK management looked for Virender Sehwag instead of MS Dhoni in the inaugural season of the IPL.
Dhoni wasn’t the first choice captain for CSK
MS Dhoni captains Chennai Super Kings since 2008 and crowns as the most successful captain in IPL history. But former CSK player S Badrinath made a claim that shocks everyone as Dhoni wasn’t the first choice captain for the franchise, but it was former India opener Virender Sehwag.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Badrinath said that CSK had identified Sehwag as the captain, but the latter decided to stay with Delhi, a team he represented in domestic competitions also.
Sehwag Refuse to play for CSK
“IPL started in 2008, and if you see who was the first option for Chennai Super Kings, it was Virender Sehwag,” Badrinath said. “The management had decided on picking Sehwag for sure, but Sehwag himself said that he was brought up in Delhi, so he would have a better connection.
“The management agreed for him to play in Delhi, thinking it would be better. Then came the auctions, and they saw who was the better player, and before that India won the 2007 World T20. And only then did they decide to sign Dhoni.
Finally CSK Bags Dhoni
“In 2008, MS Dhoni was the most expensive player, they bought him for INR 6 crores. So this is a story you probably don’t know but Dhoni was picked instead of Sehwag. According to me, MS Dhoni coming to CSK was killing three birds with one stone.
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. A finisher is a very important part of all the best T20 teams around the world. Even if you see all the good teams today, Mumbai Indians have Pollard, Kolkata Knight Riders have Andre Russell, CSK has MS Dhoni. And third, he is an excellent wicketkeeper. One of the best and safest keepers I have ever seen.”
