Former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has secured a significant legal step in his decade-old defamation suit linked to the IPL betting controversy. On Monday, the Madras High Court directed the commencement of trial in the case, where Dhoni seeks ₹100 crore in damages from Zee Media Corporation, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, retired IPS officer G Sampath Kumar, and News Nation Network. The suit, filed in 2014, alleges that the defendants wrongfully associated his name with the 2013 IPL betting scandal. Justice C V Karthikeyan passed the order after Dhoni’s counsel, P R Raman, submitted an affidavit in which the cricketer expressed readiness to move forward with the trial. Dhoni stated he would be available for both examination and cross-examination between October 20, 2025, and December 10, 2025. The exact venue and dates will be set based on mutual agreement among all parties. Read also: UP Issues Notice to Akash Deep for Unregistered Fortuner Evidence to Be Recorded by Appointed Advocate Commissioner To avoid public disruption due to Dhoni’s court appearance, the High Court appointed an advocate commissioner to record his testimony. The evidence will be taken at a location in Chennai agreeable to all sides. Dhoni’s counsel suggested a retired district judge for this role. The court confirmed it would select a name from its official panel. The case stems from allegations made in the aftermath of the 2013 IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal, where Dhoni’s name was mentioned in media reports despite no charges from investigative agencies. The former skipper has maintained that such reports caused irreparable damage to his reputation. Justice Karthikeyan ordered that once the evidence recording concludes, the suit will be listed for further hearing. The development marks the first concrete movement in the high-profile litigation after years of procedural delays.