CSK vs KXIP, 2008 semi-final. Photo: Ashwin John, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Thala: How MS Dhoni Defined an Era at Chennai Super Kings
Chennai's first-ever auction pick became the IPL's most successful captain and its most-capped player. This is the story of the man Chennai calls Thala.
When the first IPL auction was held in February 2008, Chennai Super Kings made MS Dhoni their priority and paid US$1.5 million, the highest price of the day. It has been one of the best signings in franchise sport. In Chennai, where fans call him Thala ("leader"), he became more than a captain. He became the identity of the club.
The captain
Dhoni led Chennai to titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023, and to more finals than any other captain. His teams were built on a simple idea: pick experienced players, give them clear roles, and keep calm under pressure. In their first decade, Chennai reached the playoffs every season they played, and they won close games because they rarely panicked.
Exile and return
In 2016 and 2017 Chennai were suspended from the IPL, and Dhoni played for Rising Pune Supergiant, who reached the 2017 final. When Chennai returned in 2018, critics called their squad "Dad's Army" because it was built around players in their thirties. They won the title anyway, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final behind Shane Watson's unbeaten hundred.
Critics called them "Dad's Army". Chennai won the title in their first season back.
The finisher
Dhoni's batting fits the IPL perfectly. He is famous for taking chases deep, trusting himself against any bowler in the final two overs, and finishing with a six. Over the seasons he has scored more than 5,000 IPL runs, most of them from the lower middle order, where runs are hardest to come by. Behind the stumps he has taken more catches and stumpings than any other IPL keeper, and his lightning-fast stumpings are a highlight of every season.
The 2023 fairy tale
The 2023 final against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad was washed out on its scheduled day and played on the reserve day. After another rain delay, Chennai needed 10 runs from the last two balls. Ravindra Jadeja hit a six and then a four, and Dhoni, usually so composed, lifted his team-mate off the ground in celebration. It was Chennai's fifth title, matching Mumbai's record.
Passing the baton
Before the 2024 season, Dhoni handed the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad. When Gaikwad was ruled out with an elbow injury early in 2025, Dhoni stepped back in as captain for the rest of a difficult season. Ahead of the 2025 mega auction, Chennai retained him as an uncapped player, because he had retired from international cricket more than five years earlier, for ₹4 crore.
The legacy
Dhoni's influence goes beyond trophies. Chennai's way of doing things, valuing experience, backing players through bad patches and staying calm under pressure, came from him. Wherever CSK play, the stadium fills with yellow shirts, and the biggest roar of the night comes when he walks out to bat.
Read next: every IPL champion from 2008 to 2025, including all five of Dhoni's titles.