MS Dhoni And CSK Ties Hit Troubled Waters After Stake Discussions Collapse: Report

Former India captain MS Dhoni failed to acquire a stake in Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after the franchise management rejected his financial terms.

CricBlogger reported that the 45-year-old cricketer from Ranchi expressed a strong interest in buying equity but could not reach a common ground with the owners.

The collapsed deal has reportedly soured relations between Dhoni and the franchise leadership. Consequently, his future playing status with the team remains highly uncertain.

Stalemate Over Equity Share

The financial negotiations revealed a massive gap in valuation between the two sides. Dhoni initially requested a 25 per cent equity stake in the franchise, but CSK countered with a marginal 3 per cent offer.

The former captain subsequently lowered his demand to 20 per cent, prompting the management to marginally increase their offer to 4 per cent. In a final attempt to salvage the deal, Dhoni proposed an 18 per cent share, but CSK capped their absolute maximum offer at 5.5 per cent.

"Dhoni wanted to buy a stake. He wasn’t asking for it for free, but the CSK management thought otherwise," a source told CricBlogger.

Uncertain Future For Legend

Dhoni has represented CSK since the inaugural 2008 IPL season. He stands as their most-capped player and remains the all-time leading run-scorer for the franchise. The management previously retained him for a contract worth Rs 4 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

However, persistent injury problems kept him off the field entirely this year. Dhoni did not play a single match for the franchise during the 2026 IPL season.