MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: Former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s decade-old defamation case is set to finally go to trial, with the Madras High Court ordering proceedings to begin on Monday. Dhoni has filed a Rs 100 crore suit against Zee Media Corporation, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, retired IPS officer G Sampath Kumar, and News Nation Network, accusing them of falsely linking him to the IPL betting scandal.In a sworn affidavit, Dhoni informed the court he would be available for examination and cross-examination between October 20 and December 10 this year. Justice CV Karthikeyan has appointed an advocate commissioner to record his testimony at a mutually convenient location in Chennai, a step aimed at avoiding potential disruptions at the court premises.Dhoni’s suit, filed in 2014, alleges that since February 11 of that year, the defendants have been publishing and broadcasting “false and defamatory” reports suggesting his involvement in betting, match-fixing, and spot-fixing. The complaint states that Zee News, Chaudhary, and G Sampath Kumar repeatedly made such claims, while News Nation falsely reported that Dhoni had been summoned by Tamil Nadu police.Senior counsel PR Raman presented Dhoni’s affidavit to the court, reaffirming his intention to move ahead with the case.The trial has been delayed for 11 years due to multiple applications and procedural challenges raised by the defendants. The High Court’s decision to proceed marks a significant step in this long-running legal battle, as Dhoni seeks to clear his name and claim damages for what he insists are baseless allegations.