Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan has given a massive update on MS Dhoni’s participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. He revealed that the wicketkeeper-batsman told him that he would confirm his availability before 31 October.
MS Dhoni’s participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 has confused many. So far, it has not been clear whether the wicketkeeper-batsman will play for the Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming edition or not. Everything will be clarified once the franchises announce their retained players.
Franchises have until October 31 to submit their list of released and retained players.
All franchises have until October 31 to submit their list of released and retained players. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced the retention policy for the mega auction and a rule among them was deliberately created so that Dhoni can play without risking the future of the team.
The rule allows the team to retain in the uncapped category an Indian player who has not played international cricket for five years. Furthermore, the player cannot be held for more than INR 4 crores. This means that the Chennai Super Kings can now retain Dhoni in the uncapped category and can also retain their best players.
However, now it will all depend on Dhoni whether he wants to play one more season or not. In an interview at an event, the wicketkeeper-batsman mentioned that he would get calls about his future only after the retention policy for the tournament was released.
MS Dhoni said: ‘I will tell you before October 31 – CSK CEO
Chennai Super Kings want MS Dhoni to play but are waiting for confirmation from the wicketkeeper-batsman. Franchise CEO Kasi Viswanathan revealed that the former team captain will confirm his availability soon and they are hopeful that he will play. Speaking during the event, he explained (quoted by India Today):
“We also want Dhoni to play in the CSK team. But Dhoni has not confirmed it to us yet. Dhoni said, ‘I will tell you before October 31’. We hope he plays.”
MS Dhoni to remain in the uncapped category
There were reports in Times of India on Sunday (October 20) revealing that Chennai Super Kings will retain MS Dhoni for INR 4 crore in the uncapped players category. While Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube and Matheesha Pathirana are likely to be other retentions.
MS Dhoni played all the matches for Chennai Super Kings in the last edition. Even though he was battling a knee problem, he entertained the crowd with his punching power. He scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 220, all this happened when he scored the order.
Dhoni also resigned as captain of the Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2024. Ruturaj Gaikwad then took over the leadership. The young hitter did a decent job but could not lead the team to the playoffs. The wicketkeeper-batsman turned the team into the most successful franchise in the league and guided them to five league titles.