MS Dhoni in IPL betting scandal!! High Court opens proceedings

Legendary Indian cricketer MS Dhoni’s massive INR100 crore defamation case is finally heading to trial after a long wait of more than one decade. On Monday, August 11, the Madras High Court gave the green signal to begin proceedings in the high-profile case that MS Dhoni filed in 2014.

The former Indian captain had sued Zee Media Corporation, senior journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, retired IPS officer G. Sampath Kumar, and News Nation Network, accusing them of dragging his name into the 2013 IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal despite his having nothing to do with it.

MS Dhoni’s INR100 Crore defamation case finally set for trial after 10-year wait

Well, Justice C.V. Karthikeyan, who is hearing the case at the Madras High Court, took an unusual step to avoid the chaos that could erupt if the legendary wicketkeeper-batter appeared in person at court. He appointed an advocate commissioner who will record Dhoni’s testimony at a safe, mutually agreed location in Chennai, with all parties and their lawyers present.

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According to senior counsel P.R. Raman, Dhoni has now made it clear that he wants the case to move forward without any further delays.

In the affidavit, the former Indian captain has confirmed that he is ready to face examination and cross-examination between October 20 and December 10 this year. The exact date and venue for the same will be finalized in consultation with both sides.

MS Dhoni promises full cooperation with the Advocate Commissioner in the trial

The affidavit read, as reported by The Hindu, “The above request is made with the intent to avoid any undue delay (in disposal of the suit pending in the High Court for over a decade) and to support the fair, just, and speedy adjudication of the suit. I state that I shall extend my full cooperation with the Advocate Commissioner and comply with all directions issued by this honorable court regarding the trial and the recording of evidence.”

For more than a decade, MS Dhoni’s INR 100 crore defamation case has been stuck in a legal deadlock, delayed again and again by endless applications and objections from both sides. The case was related to the shocking 2013 IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal—one of the ugliest moments in the tournament’s history.

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What was the matter?

In the IPL 2013, three players were arrested and sent shockwaves through Indian cricket. It even led to a two-year suspension for the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals after senior officials were found involved in the scandal, and at that time, MS Dhoni was the CSK captain.

Since he was the CSK captain, Dhoni’s name was pulled into the spot-fixing and betting scandal despite strongly denying any involvement time and again. Now, he is determined to clear his image through the legal fight even after retiring from international cricket in August 2020.

However, the legendary wicketkeeper-batter is still active in the IPL and part of the Chennai Super Kings. In the last season, Dhoni captained the franchise after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. However, it remains to be seen whether he will return in IPL 2026.