Dhoni on Monday became the co-owner of Chennaiyin FC, one of the eight franchise of Indian Super League.
'Did the Moneyball philosophy get redefined in the domain of the cash-rich IPL, which has become an integral part of the cricketing ecosystem?' asks Atanu Biswas.
The week gone by has been full of drama and here we bring you all the action from the sporting field in pictures!
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Having missed out in the first season of the ISL, young Brendon Fernandes tells Laxmi Negi/Rediff.com he is determined to prove his worth with MumbaI City FC in Season-2.
Hyderabad made a disastrous start to the game as Chinglensana Singh was sent off as early as the fifth minute.
Check out the Bollywood stars' presence in the cash rich ISL.
Both sides created chances in the first half but it was SCEB who converted them and deservedly headed into the break with a two-goal cushion.
'You have to have a good coach to direct you on the right path.' 'I had Arsene and Pep in my professional career, but I was lucky to have good coaches in my younger days.'
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday
Iain Hume struck his second hat-trick of the season as defending champions Atletico de Kolkata today became the first team to seal a semifinal berth following their 4-1 rout of FC Pune City in the Indian Super League football tournament at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Friday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Saturday
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday.
Reinaldo da Cruz Oliveira struck a hat-trick as FC Goa secured their place in the semi-final of the Indian Super League (ISL) with a record 5-1 win over Kerala Blasters, in Kochi on Sunday.
Dhoni scored a brace and was fittingly awarded the 'man of the match'
Italy's top-flight Serie A soccer league launched a new anti-racism campaign on Monday by presenting artwork featuring three side-by-side paintings of apes but the move has been described by campaign group Fare as a sick joke. News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Hertha Berlin's Salomon Kalou scored twice, including a stoppage-time penalty, to earn a last-gasp 2-2 draw at Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.
Former France and Chelsea star Florent Malouda scored twice, inspiring Delhi Dynamos to a 4-1 drubbing of defending champions Chennaiyin FC in an Indian Super League football match in New Delhi on Wednesday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
'RCB is a natural choice for us, mainly due to our long-standing association with Virat Kohli.'
National football coach Stephen Constantine named 32 probables on Wednesday for India's upcoming 2018 FIFA World Cup joint qualification Round 1 home and away matches against Nepal. India first host Nepal on March 12 at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium in Sajusarai, Guwahati, while the return leg is slated to be played in Nepal on March 17.
A meeting between representatives of I-League Professional Football Clubs Association and IMG-R, the commercial partners of All India Football Federation, did not take place on Wednesday with the company maintaining that it cannot meet an entity not recognised by the AIFF.
France football legend Thierry Henry, who's on his maiden visit to India, has put Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo among the top contenders to win this year's Ballon d'Or trophy.
Dheeraj, whose performance under the woodwork during the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India earned him accolades, is the third player after skipper Amarjit Singh and defender Anwar Ali from that squad, to get a call in the senior team camp.
Many Indian footballers have improved by leaps and bounds thanks to the exposure of playing in the Indian Super League in the last three seasons.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field.
Mohun Bagan and India striker Jeje Lalpekhlua was declared winner of the 'Indian Player of the Year' award by the Football Players Association of India (FPAI) at its annual awards function held at the Cooperage Ground in Mumbai. The 25-year-old from Mizoram, who made his international debut in 2012 and came through the junior ranks, received the highest number of votes from fellow professional footballers, beating the challenge from the short list of India captain Sunil Chhetri, Bikash Jairu, David Lalrinmuana and Dhanachandra Singh, to win the coveted award. Jeje, incidentally, was the winner of the FPAI's Junior Indian Footballer of the Year award in 2011, AIFF Emerging Player of the Year award in 2013 and the 2015 Indian Super League Emerging Player of the League award while representing franchise outfit Chennayin FC, the eventual champions, on loan from Bagan.
NorthEast United FC returned to the top of the Indian Super League table with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over FC Pune City at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium in Pune on Wednesday. In a match that saw fortunes fluctuating and both teams being reduced to 10 men, NorthEast United scored the winner through Emiliano Alfaro in the 79th minute.
Arsenal and Swedish legend Freddie Ljungberg, who will be plying his trade for ISL franchise Mumbai City FC, said he wanted to play in the new football league to inspire youngsters and help them.
The Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court heard that the attacker, Karl Anderson, had 25 convictions for 37 offences, including football-related violence, the BBC reported. The 29-year-old will pay a 100 pound ($134) fine.
FC Goa beat FC Pune City 4-2 in a high-scoring match to climb back to the top of the Indian Super League football standings, in Margao, on Sunday.
The Indian Super League trophy will go to the traditional home of Indian football as Atletico de Kolkata edged past Kerala Blasters 1-0 in the final.
National Anti-Doping Agency chief Navin Agarwal confirmed the former India captain was tested by NADA officials in March but declined to elaborate further.
Former Manchester United and Mumbai City forward, Uruguay's Diego Forlan and La Liga's managing director for India, Jose Antonio Cachaza discussed ways for India to become a footballing powerhouse. Norma Godinho/Rediff.com sat in as the duo discussed Indian football and the Spanish League's new India tie-up.
Expressing serious concern at the unsavoury incident that happened after the Indian Super League final in Goa on Sunday, All India Football Federation president Praful Patel said on Monday he was awaiting the match commissioner's report before cracking the whip on the wrongdoers.
The ISL 2017 witnessed a spike of over 103 per cent in domestic players' salary as compared to the inaugural year, as the 10 clubs together spent Rs 48.85 crore on Sunday to secure signatures of 156 players in the player draft in Mumbai.
From virtual yoga to empathy, the pandemic has prompted the e-commerce giant to double down on building innovations focused on improving remote work culture especially employee well-being, both mental and physical.
To bolster their midfield, weakened by the flight of Ivory Coast's Pierre Douhou to Pune FC, Mumbai glamour outfit Mahindra United signed up Serbian Svetozar Mijin from Romania's top division Club FC Politehnica Iasi for the upcoming football season.
Kerala Blasters couldn't cash in on home advantage as they were played out a goalless draw with Mumbai City FC in an Indian Super League home match in Kochi.
