‘Dhoni declined crores of rupees’: BAS owner’s bat sticker story raises MSD legend
Indian cricket legend MS Dhoni‘s latest bat sticker is making quite the headlines ahead of IPL 2024.
The Chennai Super Kings captain, it seems, is preparing for his cricketing swansong, and sporting ‘Prime Sports’ on his willow is Dhoni’s way of showing love, respect, and gratitude to all those who supported him through his journey.
Paramjit Singh, owner of the sports apparel brand, hailed Dhoni’s act and summed it up as ‘Friendship No. 1’. Dhoni’s token of appreciation even crossed borders, reaching all the way to Australia, capturing the attention of greats Michael Hussey and Adam Gilchrist.
However, Prime Sports isn’t the only company MS Dhoni has shown his affection for. Somi Kohli, owner of ‘Beat All Sports’, one of India’s biggest sports manufacturing companies and one who sponsored Dhoni’s first-ever kit, has revealed that during the 2019 World Cup, the former India captain did not charge a single penny for sporting the BAS logo.
Dhoni sported BAS and SS stickers on his bat throughout the tournament, which marked Dhoni’s final outing in India colours. Before the World Cup, Kohli revealed that Dhoni refused all the monetary benefits involved and did it purely out of the goodwill of his heart.
“Dhoni did not mention any money. “Put your stickers on my bats and send them across,” was all he said. I tried to convince him, ‘You’re letting go of such a lucrative contract’. He let go of crores of rupees worth of contracts. I requested his wife, Sakshi, his father, and his mother. He even told his CA and Paramjit from Ranchi. They all went to his home before the World Cup. But he said, ‘No, it is my decision’,” Kohli said in an interaction with Sports Launchpad.
Dhoni, Kohli and BAS go a long way back
Dhoni’s association with BAS and Kohli began way back in 1998. Twenty-five years ago, looking for young and promising talent, Kohli trusted Dhoni and sent his kits to him. It was six years before Kohli could personally meet Dhoni, as the wait ended in 2004, the same year MSD made his India debut. And as fate would have it, Dhoni hit his first ODI century—148 against Pakistan—with ‘BAS’ on his bat.
Dhoni went on to sign for various sports brands such as Reebok, Spartan, and more, but even then, Kohli would keep sending kits to Dhoni.
Virat Kohli finally agreed to back MS Dhoni after Paramjit persuaded him for six months. Before the storm he unleashed in Visakhapatnam, when Kohli had once met Dhoni but his wife could not recognise who the boy from Ranchi was, MSD could not sleep. “Aunty, I am Dhoni,” Dhoni greeted her over the phone following the spectacular century.