CSK 'won't pressurise' Dhoni to stay

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) may have been barred from playing in (Indian Premier League) IPL, but MS Dhoni is not a closed chapter for the franchise. The franchise bosses are likely to meet their captain sometime in the coming week and plan the course of action.

According to sources in the Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited (CSKCL), the top bosses tried to get in touch with Captain Cool on Tuesday after Justice Lodha committee announced its verdict. "We have spoken to people who are in touch with him and it's likely that we will go and meet him very soon," a source said.

Dhoni is the IPL's biggest brand by a distance, and there is a strong belief that if CSK are forced to stay out of IPL for the next two seasons, the captain might choose to stay away from the tournament altogether. The CSK authorities, though, insist that they are not going to pressurize Dhoni to skip the cash-rich tournament. "There is no question of pressurizing from our end. It's his profession and he will decide what he wants to do. But yes, Dhoni has been deeply associated with our brand right from the beginning and we would like to discuss our plans with him," the source added.

On Wednesday, as the dust settled down, the CSKCL bosses sat with their legal team trying to decide on the way forward for the franchise. They are trying to figure out that if there has to be a petition made in Supreme Court for an interim relief, which is the party that should do it. "We have to see if it's CSKCL that is going to make the petition or if it's India Cements, which has been barred from holding the franchise for the next two years," the source said.

We are not going to rush on this and will take our time before coming to a decision on how to go about it," the source added.

Justice Lodha, while pronouncing the order on Tuesday, said that the ban is on India Cements Ltd. (ICL) from holding the franchise but there was no mention of CSKCL, which owns the franchise following its de-merger from ICL. There was an interpretation that the Super Kings could play under CSKCL but TOI has confirmed that the ban is not just on India Cements but also CSK.