Nearly ten years after it began, the Madras High Court has ordered the start of the trial in MS Dhoni’s INR 100 crore defamation case. This comes after his name was linked to the IPL 2013 betting scandal.
The court has appointed an advocate commissioner to record Dhoni’s testimony in Chennai. This will take place between October 20 and December 10, 2025.
Background of MS Dhoni Match Fixing Defamation Case
The 2013 IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal shook Indian cricket. Several players were found guilty of spot-fixing. Two teams, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals, were suspended for two years. The suspensions were due to betting activities by their officials.
MS Dhoni was the captain of CSK and the Indian cricket team at the time. He was never charged in the case. However, his name was mentioned in some media debates and reports. This led Dhoni to file a defamation suit in 2014.
The suit was filed against Zee Media Corporation, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, retired IPS officer G. Sampath Kumar, and News Nation Network. Dhoni demanded INR 100 crore in damages. He claimed that they made false and damaging remarks, linking him to the scandal without proof.
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On August 11, 2025, Justice C.V. Karthikeyan ruled that Dhoni’s evidence should be recorded by an advocate commissioner. This will happen at a location agreed upon by all parties. It will not take place in open court.
Dhoni’s lawyer, senior counsel P.R. Raman, submitted an affidavit. It said Dhoni wanted to avoid further delays in the case. The case has been pending for more than a decade. The affidavit also said Dhoni would fully cooperate with the advocate commissioner.
The trial has faced many delays over the years. Several applications and procedural issues have slowed the process.
Dhoni retired from international cricket in August 2020. However, he still plays for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
The court’s order now sets a clear path for the trial to finally begin.
