IPL: Chennai Super Kings paid this much for MS Dhoni in 2008; rest is history!

The scoreboard might say that Chennai Super Kings lost the IPL 2019 final to Mumbai Indians by one run, but the difference between the two sides was less than an inch - the distance by which Mahendra Singh Dhoni got out when CSK was comfortably cruising towards the win. The former Indian captain has been with the franchise since the inception of the Indian Premier League in 2008, not representing them only for two years when the franchise was banned. He successfully led the franchise to eight finals in ten seasons, winning three of them. 

Undoubtedly, Dhoni's signing goes down as one of the best investments in the IPL history. While six of the eight franchises had icon players - Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians), Rahul Dravid (Royal Challengers Banaglore), VVS Laxman (Deccan Chargers), Virender Sehwag (Delhi Daredevils), Yuvraj Singh (Kings XI Punjab) and Sourav Ganguly (Kolkata Knight Riders) in 2008 - Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings were left with the hard task to find names who can be the poster boys for the franchise. 

Both teams did a great job by signing Shane Warne and MS Dhoni, but latter's dominance in the league will be remembered for years to come. Chennai Super Kings had secured the services of Dhoni for $1.5 million in 2008. Hours before Sunday's final, Richard Madley, who was auctioneer for the first 10 IPL seasons, tweeted an image of the auction sheet for IPL 2008.

"Just found my one and only auction sheet for the historic first ever #VIVOIPL auction in 2008. @msdhoni sold to @ChennaiIPL. A rare piece of cricket memorabilia (sic.)," Madley tweeted. The sheet also gave details of other players like Adam Gilchrist, Shoaib Akhtar, Mahela Jayawardene and Muttiah Muralitharan. Replying to a tweet, Madley said that the first IPL auction was a ground breaker and that selling Dhoni was a "career highlight."

Just found my one and only auction sheet for the historic first ever #VIVOIPL auction in 2008.@msdhoni sold to @ChennaiIPL A rare piece of cricket memorabilia
Will be watching #CSKvMI on @hotstarUK #CricketMeriJaan #WhistlePodu #VIVOIPLFinal pic.twitter.com/5M5qY2tPy5

— Richard Madley (@iplauctioneer) May 12, 2019

Meanwhile, Dhoni made a new record during the final against Mumbai Indians by becoming the most successful wicket-keeper in the history of IPL, taking his dismissals tally to 132, surpassing Dinesh Karthik. Dhoni, who took two catches in the IPL final against Mumbai Indians, has now taken 94 catches and effected 38 stumpings.

Karthik has 131 dismissals to his credit while Robin Uthappa has 90 scalps behind the stumps.