THE ETHICS OFFICER of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Arun Mishra, has dismissed a complaint filed against former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni over alleged violations of conflict-of-interest provisions.
The ruling concluded that no conflict of interest was established in relation to Dhoni’s participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dhoni currently represents Chennai Super Kings and has led the franchise to five IPL titles.
In his order, Justice Mishra observed that while Dhoni could be considered the owner of cricket academies operated by Aarka Sports and Management Private Limited, the agreement governing the academies was signed in 2017, before the BCCI’s conflict-of-interest regulations came into effect in September 2018.
The Ethics Officer noted that there was no foundational evidence to show that Dhoni’s role as a player placed him in a position of “institutional control or decision-making authority”. The ruling further stated that no instances of favouritism, bias, or preferential treatment linked to the academies had been alleged or proven.
Justice Mishra emphasised that, in the absence of such evidence, “mere continuance as an IPL player, without governance overlap, cannot by itself satisfy the definitional threshold of conflict” under BCCI regulations.
The complaint, filed in February 2024, alleged that Dhoni, while continuing as a professional player, was simultaneously the owner of a cricket academy, which the complainant claimed violated Rule 38(4)(a) and Rule 38(4)(p) of the BCCI’s conflict-of-interest rules. The complainant also alleged that Dhoni failed to comply with disclosure requirements under Rule 38(2) and Rule 38(5) after the regulations were amended in 2018.
However, the Ethics Officer noted that the additional submissions appeared to reflect personal grievances and claims extending beyond the scope of Rule 38.
“The complainant cannot, in effect, espouse the cause of a third party in this adjudicatory forum. More so, the complainant has personal axe to grind as the respondent had caused loss to him,” the order said.
“Resultantly, Shri MS Dhoni can be said to be the owner of the Cricket Academies opened by M/s Aarka Sports and Management Private Limited. However, the agreement was entered into in 2017, whereas regulations came into force in September 2018. On facts, Conflict of Interest at the relevant time when Shri MS Dhoni represented India as Captain/Player has not been made out,” it added.
The order also noted that no allegations of favouritism were made against Dhoni and that any non-disclosure under the relevant rules did not carry substantive consequence in this case.
It further observed that the complaint stemmed from a commercial dispute between the complainant, Dhoni and Aarka Sports and Management Private Limited, and that the issue was raised belatedly in relation to events dating back to 2020. Consequently, the Ethics Officer concluded that no case of conflict of interest had been established regarding Dhoni’s participation in the IPL.
