After scoring his 100th international fifty in the first ODI against Australia last Sunday, former India captain and wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni had visited India Cements Limited's corporate office in Chennai.
The visit comes ahead of CSK's return next year, after serving a two-year suspension due to its owners' alleged involvement in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scam. The ban was imposed by the Supreme Court-appointed RM Lodha Committee in 2015. Dhoni had captained the CSK in IPL from 2008 to 2015.
It was Dhoni's first visit to the office of ICL, owner of IPL-franchise Chennai Super Kings and managed by former ICC and BCCI chief Narayanaswami Srinivasan, reported Mumbai Mirror.
Dhoni, who was appointed vice-president of the cement manufacturing company four years ago, spent almost half a day in the Chennai office. Apart from interacting with the staff, senior management and visiting the gym, the 36-year-old also had a meeting with Srinivasan. The company termed the visit an official one.
The firm also posted pictures of the visit on its Facebook page, saying, "MS Dhoni (VP-Marketing, The India Cements) visited the corporate office and spent time with the ICL family. He met the senior management team, met with teams in various departments (marketing, finance, HR, manufacturing etc.) He spent some time at the cafeteria during lunchtime which allowed his colleagues to take selfies with him which will be always cherished in their memories..."
CSK officials did not reveal anything and merely told the Mumbai-based paper, "As he was in Chennai, he wanted to visit the office, meet Mr Srinivasan and find out for himself how the office works."
The only information connecting the IPL team and Dhoni's visit came from Srinivasan's close aide Kasi Viswanath. "It is no secret that CSK want Dhoni but we are still waiting to hear from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on the way forward for the league," he was quoted as saying by Mirror.
Srinivasan, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Chairman, who is currently in the United Kingdom, could not be reached for comment, the report said.
The Jharkhand Dasher's interests in India Cements recently hit the headlines when former IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi leaked the company's offer letter to the former skipper, with details of his terms of employment.
According to the leaked letter, Dhoni was given the position of Vice President (Marketing), with basic pay of Rs 43,000 per month, along with a dearness allowance of Rs 21,970, apart from special pay of Rs 20,000.
The document also revealed that Dhoni was entitled to Rs 20,400 as house rent allowance (HRA) when he is stationed in Chennai. He was eligible for a special HRA of Rs 8,400 if he is in Chennai, and Rs 8,000 if elsewhere. Another special allowance of Rs 60,000 and education/newspaper expenses of Rs 175 per month were also mentioned in the letter.