MS Dhoni ordered to deposit Rs 10 lakh in 12-year-old defamation case

Update on defamation case involving MS Dhoni [Source: @imDhoni_fc/X.com]

The Madras High Court has directed former India captain MS Dhoni to deposit Rs 10 lakh towards transcription and translation costs in his long-running defamation suit. 

The case, filed in 2014, relates to allegations linking his name to the 2013 IPL betting scandal. The court said the payment would help speed up proceedings that have been delayed for over 12 years due to multiple interim applications and related contempt matters. 

Why MS Dhoni has to pay Rs 10 lakh?

Justice R.N. Manjula passed the order after noting that the material submitted in court included compact discs that needed to be transcribed and translated. 

The High Court’s Interpreter Section reported that the task was extensive. It would take nearly three to four months even if one interpreter and a typist worked on it full-time. 

The estimated cost was fixed at Rs 10 lakh. The court said the plaintiff must bear this expense. Dhoni has been asked to deposit the amount with the Chief Justice’s Relief Fund on or before March 12, 2026.

The defamation suit seeks Rs 100 crore in damages. It was filed against Zee Media Corporation, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, retired IPS officer G. Sampath Kumar and News Nation Network. 

MS Dhoni had moved court after his name was allegedly dragged into the 2013 IPL betting controversy.

The judge observed that the case should move forward without further delay. The payment is aimed at ensuring the trial proceeds smoothly.

The long road of a 12-year-old case

The matter has seen several twists over the years. There was a delay in the trial because of the interim petitions that were frequently filed by both parties. In 2023, a Division Bench of the High Court convicted retired IPS officer G. Sampath Kumar of criminal contempt. 

He was sentenced to 15 days of simple imprisonment. However, the Supreme Court stayed the punishment in 2024.

MS Dhoni had filed the contempt plea after claiming that certain remarks made in court filings amounted to scandalising judicial proceedings. In 2022, the then Advocate General granted permission for the CSK veteran to pursue contempt charges, stating that the comments crossed legal limits.

In August 2025, Justice C.V. Karthikeyan ordered that the trial begin. An advocate commissioner was appointed to record Dhoni’s evidence at a mutually agreed venue. 

The court felt that asking MS Dhoni to appear in person inside the High Court could create security and crowd management issues due to his celebrity status.

An appeal against this order was dismissed in November 2025. The Division Bench said the arrangement was practical and justified.

MS Dhoni set for IPL 2026 return

While the legal battle continues, MS Dhoni is preparing for another IPL season. He will represent CSK in IPL 2026. The franchise retained him for Rs 4 crore as an uncapped player ahead of the new season.

Dhoni returned as CSK captain during IPL 2025 after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out with injury. It was a tough season for the team. CSK won only four matches in 14 games and finished at the bottom of the table.

With the bat, MS Dhoni scored 196 runs in 13 innings. He averaged 24.50 and had a strike rate of 135.17. His highest score was 30*.