‘Selling Dhoni was a career highlight’: Inaugural IPL auctioneer recalls selling Dhoni to CSK

With the IPL 2023 final right around the corner, IPL’s first auctioneer, Richard Madley hailed selling Mahindra Singh Dhoni to Chennai Super Kings as his career highlight.

Richard Madley was part of the competition’s inaugural auction all the way back in 2008, where he sold Dhoni after an intense bidding war between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI).

Reminiscing about the career-defining moment, Madley wrote on Twitter: “Selling #Dhoni in the first #IPL auction was a career highlight & meeting him was very special. He signed this for my son @harrymadley6. Good luck today #CSK #WhistlePodu #Yellove”

He also attached a picture of Dhoni’s autograph that the auctioneer had requested for his son.

Dhoni has a date with destiny as Chennai Super Kings clash with the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2023 final. The CSK captain will be looking to ascend CSK to immortality by tying the all-time record of 5 IPL Champion titles.

The IPL 2023 final marks Thala’s 11th appearance in a final as a player and his 10th as a player. It will also mark his 250th appearance in the prestigious competition, a feat no other player has achieved.

In his last 249 appearances, Dhoni has set the competition ablaze, scoring 5,082 runs, making him the seventh-highest scorer in the league. Alongside keeping an average score of 39.09, he has also maintained a strike rate of 135.96 in 217 innings. His highest run tally sits at 84, with 24 half-centuries to his name.  

In the iconic yellow jersey, Dhoni has played 219 matches, where he scored 4,508 runs in 190 innings. He has made his mark on the field with 22 half-centuries in the yellow jersey. For CSK, Thala has a strike rate of 137.52 and a batting average of 40.25.