SRH Owners Drag CSK To Court, MS Dhoni And Co In Trouble Before IPL 2026

MS Dhoni and Kavya Maran [Source: X.com]

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have run into a major legal issue just days before the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). The popular franchise now faces a copyright case filed in the Madras High Court. 

The IPL 2026 season is scheduled to begin on March 28. Teams across the league are currently preparing for the tournament. Meanwhile, CSK have found themselves dealing with a legal dispute related to a promotional video shared on social media.

Dispute over movie audio and dialogues

Sun TV Network Limited filed the complaint against CSK Limited. According to the company, the franchise used audio tracks, background music, as well as film dialogues from three movies in a promotional video released to unveil the team’s new jersey.

The movies involved in the dispute include Rajinikanth’s films Jailer, Jailer 2, and Coolie. Sun TV Network stated that CSK used music and dialogues from these productions in the promotional clip without permission.

The video appeared on multiple social media platforms including Instagram, X, YouTube, and Facebook. The promotional content aimed to introduce CSK’s jersey for the upcoming IPL season.

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Soon after discovering the video, Sun TV Network took action. Kavya Maran, who owns the television network and also owns the IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad, quickly moved forward with a copyright complaint.

As the issue gained attention, the situation escalated from a marketing video into a legal matter.

CSK removes and reuploads video

CSK later removed the video from all official social media platforms. The franchise then reuploaded the promotional clip after replacing the original soundtrack with licensed background music.

During the court hearing held on March 13, 2026, senior counsel J. Ravindran represented Sun TV Network. He informed the court that CSK stopped using the copyrighted material after receiving a warning email sent on March 1.

Furthermore, he urged the court to ensure that CSK avoids any such unauthorized use of copyrighted content in the future.

On the other side, senior counsel P. S. Raman represented CSK Limited. He explained that the franchise had already stopped using the songs, audio tracks, and dialogues mentioned in the complaint.

In addition, he assured the court that any future use of such material would happen only after receiving proper permission from the copyright holders.

Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy recorded the statement. The judge also directed CSK Limited to submit an affidavit confirming this commitment by Monday.

Sun TV network explains its claim

Sun TV Network provided detailed information in its legal filing. The company operates 37 television channels that reach more than 95 million households across India. Notably, the company also produces films under the banner of Sun Pictures. According to the complaint, major investments go into producing these movies.

Sun TV stated that Jailer, Jailer 2, and Coolie were produced under this banner. Music composer Anirudh Ravichander had signed an agreement transferring rights for using the film music to the production company. Therefore, Sun TV claimed full ownership of the audio used in the films.

Sun TV Network argued that the promotional video helped CSK promote its jersey, which is priced at ₹2,399. According to the company, copyrighted audio was used in a commercial context without authorization.

As a result, the company requested the court to stop CSK from using the material. It also demanded financial records related to earnings connected with the promotion. In addition, Sun TV sought damages worth ₹1 crore for copyright infringement.

Meanwhile, CSK continue their preparations for IPL 2026. The team is scheduled to face Rajasthan Royals in their opening match of the season.

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