Picture of auction sheet from 2008 breaks the internet, MS Dhoni's iconic winning bid from CSK mentioned

MS Dhoni took very little time to become Chennai's favourite son after taking the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to unprecedented heights in a short span of time in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Over the years, the wicketkeeper-batter has become an inspiration for the CSK who have won a record-equalling five IPL titles under his leadership.

Dhoni was roped in by CSK in 2008 for a whopping $1.5 million, making him the most expensive player of the inaugural IPL auction. Chennai's decision to go all out for Dhoni has been their best decision in 15 years as they are still enjoying surreal success under the stalwart.

Richard Madley, who conducted the auction in 2008, had shared the picture of the "first-ever auction sheet". Details of Dhoni's purchase were written on that sheet alongside other star players like Shane Warne, Shoaib Akhtar, Adam Gilchrist, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Mahela Jayawardena.

In 2023, Dhoni played with a bruised knee but managed to inspire his side to win the title after beating defending champions Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad. The Ranchi-born managed to play all 16 matches. He scored 104 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 182.46, hitting some trademark sixes to roll back the years.

CSK go into IPL 2024 auction with fourth-highest purse

Chennai Super Kings let go of Ben Stokes last month. He was picked for a whopping INR 16.25 crore. However, England's red-ball captain only played just two games for the popular franchise as he was dealing with a knee injury.

CSK will have a purse of INR 31.40 crore in the upcoming IPL auction 2024, which is the fourth-highest after Gujarat Titans (INR 38.15 crore), Sunrisers Hyderabad (INR 34 crore), and Kolkata Knight Riders (INR 32.70 crore). They have six slots remaining, out of which three are overseas. The IPL 2024 auction takes place on Tuesday, December 19, in Dubai.