Reports: Former CSK captain Dhoni to join new IPL team

MS Dhoni will not be donning the yellow of CSK, at least for the next two years

Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni, who has been the mainstay of banned Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has reportedly decided to join one of the other IPL teams. As per a report on Times of India, a source close to these developments confirmed that Dhoni would not stay out of the IPL and would join another team.

Since 2008, Dhoni has been a part of the CSK setup featuring as the franchise's captain for all the eight seasons completed so far. He is the only player to captain an IPL side in all the seasons until 2015. CSK had bought him for the then highest price of $1.5 million (Rs7.5 crore at the time) during the first IPL auction.

“Dhoni will definitely feature in the IPL for a new team. There is absolutely no pressure from CSK to stop him and the next edition of the IPL will see him in action. He is the Indian captain in ODIs and T20. How can he not play in an important event like the IPL,” the source said.

The source also confirmed that CSK will have an option of buying back Dhoni after their ban of two years, considering that the mercurial captain will still be playing cricket.

The new two teams of the IPL have not been identified yet, but it can be concluded without a doubt that Dhoni will be the main target for these two teams. Reports suggest that six players from the banned teams of CSK and Rajasthan Royals will be drafted into the two new teams while the remaining players will be up for auction.

Dhoni's finishing abilities and leadership will something that any team will be delighted in having. In the last eight seasons, Dhoni led CSK to four titles in the Twenty20 format. In 2010, CSK won the IPL title as well as the Champions League T20 (CLT20) title.

CSK won the IPL again in 2011 while they won the CLT20 title for the second time in 2014. In addition to the two IPL titles, CSK finished as runners-up in four of the eight seasons. The men in yellow led by Dhoni have never finished outside the top four in the IPL.

Much of CSK's success has to be credited to their inspirational captain who led his team by example many a time to pull them out of troublesome situations. The new team that will earn the services of Dhoni will be with the belief that he can replicate his success for his new team.

Dhoni meets N Srinivasan

On Friday, Dhoni was criticised for meeting his former boss N Srinivasan at the latter's residence in Chennai. The visit comes at a time when the former BCCI boss was ousted by the Supreme Court of India earlier this year, and since then has been under major scrutiny.

“Those who are criticising Dhoni for meeting Srinivasan should also know that he is also the vice-president of the company. Isn't it natural that he will meet the managing director of the same company if he is in the city?” an Indian Cement official said.

Dhoni will be looking to lead India to an ODI series win when they take on South Africa in the last and fifth ODI on Sunday at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.