BackUndiminished Dhoni
Dhoni's draw power remains unaffected by his ambivalent form and that is one of the biggest reasons why Pune had no hesitation in picking him
PremiumNEW DELHI :
The biggest story from the draft auction for the Indian Premier League (IPL) season 2016 is that Brand Dhoni is more tensile and compelling than most critics had imagined.
There was an air of suspense, linked essentially to Dhoni’s fate, when the bidding for the two new franchises, Pune and Rajkot, was opened. Would he command the same attention and value that he has done since the inception of the IPL in 2008?
As it transpired, Dhoni was the first player to be bought, within minutes of the auction opening, and at obviously the maximum price authorized. He inevitably becomes the fulcrum of the Pune side.
The vicissitudes of the world’s biggest Twenty20 (T20) league in the past few years, which includes Dhoni’s erstwhile franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) being kayoed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (with serious prodding by the Supreme Court-appointed Justice Mudgal and Justice Lodha committees), has seen no erosion whatsoever in Dhoni’s equity.
Those investing in sports leagues—and especially the high-cost IPL—are no longer enamoured of just the glamour. Strong business purpose and a clear desire for return on investment are the big determinants, so it is reasonable to believe that Pune’s purchase of Dhoni was well thought out.
What does Dhoni offer in return?
His recent form has been iffy; since the World Cup in March—when he was India’s most consistent player—there has been nothing spectacular from him, no “MSD" special knock to talk of. After an absence of nearly a decade, Dhoni made a comeback to domestic cricket in the season currently under way, playing in the limited-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy, but has struggled for runs there too. Yet, even now, as one selector mentioned to me, Dhoni’s name is pencilled in first when the side for T20s or One Day Internationals (ODIs) is chosen. “He is not looking as explosive as earlier, but still there is nobody with his calmness under pressure or match-winning ability,’’ the selector says.
Dhoni’s draw power remains unaffected by his ambivalent form and that is one of the biggest reasons why Pune had no hesitation in making him their first choice. He pulls in crowds and there is a long list of companies whose products he endorses. All these would add up to substantial financial gains which can rationalize the ₹ 12.5 crore, plus the extras (whatever Dhoni was earning from CSK has to be matched), being paid to him. Apart from the fact that he has been yanked out of a franchise that he helped nurture and make the most consistent performer in the IPL, the Dhoni story remains rosy. But what the future holds for him would depend a great deal on how he performs in season 2016. Having retired from Test cricket last season, Dhoni has only limited-overs cricket in which to impress selector and sponsor alike about his star value as player, captain and brand ambassador.
If India’s win-loss ratio in ODIs and T20s is not favourable, his captaincy could be under stress, and that would inevitably also affect his brand equity. Already, there are murmurs that Virat Kohli should be given charge in all formats. The World T20 championship to be played in India in March, followed by the IPL, therefore poses a stiff challenge to Dhoni to not just keep his pre-eminent status intact, but also perhaps prolong his career.
I have dwelt at length on Dhoni even if the context of this piece is the draft auction for the IPL because he has been a giant figure in contemporary cricket and inarguably the most influential in Indian cricket in the past decade.
Of the other nine players who went under the hammer on 15 December, there were no real surprises. All the stellar players found favour, barring perhaps Shane Watson, who was ignored. I would imagine that the Rajkot franchise debated long and hard between Watson and Dwayne Bravo before settling for the latter for his better fielding, bowling and fitness consistency.
Of greater significance, and ground perhaps for some remorse within the CSK team, is the disbanding of what was the best-performing side in the IPL’s history. This was a franchise that had gelled superbly and seen very few upheavals in the otherwise volatile environs of the league.
Now, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, known as Dhoni’s boys, as well as Brendon McCullum and Bravo, whom the CSK captain had hand-picked, will be ranged against him, R. Ashwin and Faf du Plessis. Simultaneously, of course, Steven Smith and Ajinkya Rahane, who are now in Pune, will be playing against former colleague James Faulkner and perhaps some others who may be bought during the next auction on 6 February.
How this change from friends to frenemies plays out on the field could well be the most riveting story of IPL 2016.
Ayaz Memon is a senior columnist who writes on sports and other matters.
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