The Board of Control for Cricket in India has dismissed a conflict-of-interest complaint filed against former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The decision came from BCCI Ethics Officer Justice Arun Mishra (retd), who ruled that there was no violation of the board’s conflict-of-interest regulations related to Dhoni’s role in the Indian Premier League.

Dhoni, who currently plays for Chennai Super Kings and has led the franchise to five IPL titles, had come under scrutiny over his association with cricket academies run by M/s Aarka Sports and Management Private Limited. The complaint alleged that Dhoni’s involvement with these academies created a potential conflict while he continued to play in the IPL.

However, after reviewing the case, the Ethics Officer found no substantial evidence supporting the allegations. Justice Mishra clarified that while Dhoni may be considered the owner of the academies, the agreement with the company was signed in 2017 — a year before the BCCI’s conflict-of-interest regulations came into effect in September 2018. As a result, the order noted that Dhoni’s association with the academies predates the rules’ implementation, rendering the complaint legally unsustainable under the existing framework.

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“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 stated.

The complaint, originally filed in February 2024, claimed that Dhoni violated Rule 38(4)(a) and Rule 38(4)(p) by owning a cricket academy while being an active IPL player. It also alleged that the former India captain failed to disclose mandatory details under Rule 38(2) and Rule 38(5) after the conflict-of-interest rules were amended in 2018.

𝐀𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐏𝐋 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, 𝐌𝐒 𝐃𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐢 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐁𝐂𝐂𝐈

BCCI Ethics Officer Justice Arun Mishra (retd) has dismissed the complaint filed against MS Dhoni over alleged conflict-of-interest… pic.twitter.com/hX1l5iGK4C

— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) March 12, 2026

However, the Ethics Officer ruled that these claims lacked merit and appeared to stem from personal grievances rather than genuine regulatory concerns.

“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,” the order noted.

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The ruling also emphasised that there was no evidence suggesting favouritism, bias, or preferential treatment linked to Dhoni’s involvement with the academies. Without such proof, the Ethics Officer concluded that merely continuing as an IPL player did not amount to a conflict of interest.

“In view of the foregoing discussion and findings, the complaint is dismissed,” the order concluded. 🏏