Former CSK player reveals MS Dhoni was not the first choice for CSK's captain

In a shocking revelation made by former Chennai Super Kings batsman Subramaniam Badrinath, the team management did not want to go for MS Dhoni as their first choice captain. MS Dhoni has been the main reason behind CSK’s success in the IPL. Thala Dhoni’s captaincy has helped CSK perform with supreme consistency in the league. 

Under Dhoni’s captaincy, Chennai Super Kings have made it to the playoffs of every season that they have played. However, the team management wished to sign Virender Sehwag and elect him as their captain in 2008. Since Delhi managed to get Sehwag as their icon player, Chennai had to go for another option. Here’s what Badrinath told on his YouTube channel:

“IPL started in 2008, and if you see who was the first option for Chennai Super Kings, it was Virender Sehwag. The management had decided on picking Sehwag for sure, but Sehwag himself said that he was brought up in Delhi, so he would have a better connection," S Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.

One can only wonder what could have happened had Chennai signed Virender Sehwag in 2008. The right-handed destructive opener has a huge fan following in the entire world, but he could not make it big in the IPL. Sehwag captained Delhi Daredevils for multiple years, but the team could not even make it to a single IPL final. 

Ultimately, Delhi released Sehwag and the Delhi-based player became a part of Kings XI Punjab. Sehwag made it to the finals of IPL 2014, but Punjab lost in the final to Kolkata Knight Riders. 

In a way, Chennai will be happy with how destiny took Sehwag to Delhi, and then they signed Dhoni for an expensive amount in the auction. IPL 2020 will start next Saturday, with a high-profile match between CSK and MI in Abu Dhabi.