Experts predict massive numbers in case MS Dhoni enters IPL 2018 auction

Former Indian captain MS Dhoni is expected to don the yellow jersey of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). However, the experts have predicted a massive bidding war if the stalwart enters the auction which will be held in 2018. During the period when CSK was suspended for 2 years, Dhoni was a part of the franchise Rising Pune Supergiant and played a crucial role in their run to the finals last season.

The officials of the CSK franchise have already made it clear that they would go all out for him if he is put up in the auction. The man with the Midas touch has reinvented himself this year and is looking fitter than ever. He is even back in form with both bat and the gloves in the limited overs format for India.

Dhoni is an anchor and spirit of any team

There is a possibility of a major overhaul in the teams as the contracts of all the players have expired with their respective franchises and there is no news from the IPL Governing Council just yet about the retention of the players. The brand guru Harish Bijoor and former India cricketer Nikhil Chopra predict a massive bidding war for MS Dhoni in next season’s mega IPL auction. They believe that Mahi is one of the hottest properties in the Indian sports and might rack up huge numbers during the event.

“I think MS is one of the hottest properties in Indian sports. In recent memory there are hardly any cricketers of Dhoni’s stature and he is an icon. Dhoni has steered the Chennai Super Kings over the years. His captaincy with India & performances on a continuous basis are unmatchable in Indian cricket, stars come & go but few retain their value like MS Dhoni. In the current Indian team only Virat Kohli can be compared to MS Dhoni. In terms of brand value however Kohli is ahead of MS Dhoni but as a cricketer Dhoni is the anchor & spirit of any team that he is a part of,” Harish Bijoor said according to India Today.

Nikhil Chopra too was all praise of the Indian former captain and termed him as the match winner for any team.

“Dhoni will be in the top 5 most sought after players in the IPL. He has leadership qualities that speak for itself and he is a match winner for any team. Without a doubt a lot of teams will go after Dhoni as he is a leader. Specially in IPL the bulk of most teams have Indian players so you need that Indian leader and lot of teams will go after him,” he said.

They also believed that the  2-year suspension will surely affect the CSK brand it would be important for them to secure the services of Dhoni.

“I think the 2-year suspension will affect brand CSK. They may want to reinvent their magic and bids may be led by CSK in order to recreate that brand. It is all the more important for Chennai to retain Dhoni than other teams as they are returning after a gap of 2 years and public memory is short,” added the brand guru.

“I think the fan base makes a lot of difference and franchisees have to take care of their marketing & commercial activities. Revenue generation for the teams matter so they want to retain their identifiable match winners and build team around them. Dhoni is one such player,” Chopra, a former Indian cricketer concluded.