CSK’s IPL win to boost T20’s popularity worldwide, says N Srinivasan of India Cements

The M.S. Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lifting the trophy in the just-concluded edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will boost the popularity of the franchise-based cricket format across the world, according to N. Srinivasan, vice-chairman and managing director of India Cements Ltd (ICL). ICL owned the CSK franchise from inception in 2008 till 2014, when the ownership was transferred to Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd.

In a conversation with Moneycontrol, Srinivasan said the popularity of the team and its ‘Captain Cool’ (one of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s more popular nicknames) would definitely trigger interest in countries like the US for franchise-based cricket. In the US, franchise-based models drive sports such as basketball, football and baseball, he added. In fact, domestic advertising supported such franchise-based sports in the US, he pointed out.

“It was a remarkable win,” said Srinivasan, adding that it “put Chennai on top of the world”.  The stadium was more yellow (the team’s kit colour) than anything else both in the qualifier and the final, he said, signifying CSK’s huge fan following. According to him, the people of Chennai had made Dhoni one of their own. “CSK is MSD, and MSK is CSK,” he said.

Once they get back from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) where the IPL was held, Dhoni and his teammates will be given a grand reception at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram stadium in the presence of state chief minister M.K. Stalin, he added.