MS Dhoni’s ₹44 lakh Rolex sparks buzz after IPL appearance:Inside captain maverick’s luxury watch game; why do rich people buy premium timepieces

The legendary former Indian cricket men’s team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is known for his calm attitude on the field. His choice of style made a lot of noise during the recently concluded CSK vs SRH match at Chepauk in Chennai on Monday, 18 May, 2026, which many said could be his last appearance as a player for the CSK squad. Cricket matches in India are famous for big hits, loud crowds, and intense drama. But during recent Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, the cameras caught something else that made headlines. People were not just looking at the scoreboard; they were staring at the wrists of the cricket royalty – ₹43.89 lakh Rolex watch – the ‘𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝗺𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗮’, according to ‘WatchTimeIndia.’ Inside captain cool’s multi-crore watch collection MS Dhoni has always loved tough, high-performance machines, which is clear from his massive collection of bikes and cars. His watch collection follows the exact pattern. He prefers heavy watches that match his powerful personality. How big is India’s luxury watch industry? The sight of multi-crore watches in the middle of a cricket stadium is a perfect picture of modern India. Driven by rising salaries, young business leaders, and a culture that loves luxury, India has become one of the most exciting markets for Swiss watchmakers. As long as icons like MS Dhoni keep showing off these mechanical masterpieces, the craze for luxury watches in India will only climb higher. Thalla’s love for high-end timepieces highlights a much bigger trend: the explosive growth of the luxury watch industry in India. According to financial market reports by ‘Grand View Research,’ the Indian luxury watch market alone is valued at roughly $1.4 billion or ₹11,600 crore. Why rich people spend crores on luxury watches? To a commom man, spending crores of rupees on an item that only tells the time sounds crazy. However, for billionaires, Bollywood stars, and top athletes, buying a luxury watch is actually a very smart business move. 1. These are wearable investments Unlike cars or smartphones, which lose value the moment you buy them, top-tier luxury watches often become more expensive over time. Brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet strictly limit the number of watches they manufacture each year. Because the demand is high and the supply is low, people are willing to pay double the original price just to get their hands on a pre-owned piece. 2. Protection against inflation Rich individuals treat luxury watches as “mobile bank accounts.” In times of economic trouble or high inflation, paper money loses value, but gold and mechanical luxury watches hold their worth. On top of that, you can easily wear items worth crores on your wrist and travel across the world without carrying heavy bags of cash. 3. Ultimate status symbol Luxury time machines reveal how successful you are without you having to say a single word. A rare watch shows that the owner does not just have mone- but he is also a powerful man in the society.