Chennai Super Kings (CSK) wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni has expressed his desire to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. As per reports in Indian Express, it is learnt that the former captain will play only if the BCCI allows the five-time champions to retain more than four players ahead of the mega auction.
MS Dhoni’s future in the Indian Premier League has been one of the hottest topics in India. This comes after the franchise owners held a meeting with the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Friday (July 31) regarding the retention policy ahead of the mega auction.
It is learnt that during the meeting, Chennai Super Kings requested to bring the old league rule which was in place in the league till 2021. As per that rule, if a player has retired from international cricket for five years or more, he will be treated as a non-international player.
Reports claimed that Chennai Super Kings want to retain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player. It is learnt that BCCI is planning to reintroduce this rule in case there is a big player auction. As per this policy, a team would be able to retain the uncapped player at a cost of just Rs 4 crore.
MS Dhoni, who has been a legend for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League, is currently 43 years old and it is fair to say that he is in the latter phase of his career. There has even been speculation that the wicketkeeper-batsman has already played his last season as a player in the league.
Ahead of the 2024 edition, MS Dhoni gave a clear hint about his retirement after deciding to hand over the captaincy of the team to youngster Ruturaj Gaikwad. Although the team finished fifth on the points table, the wicketkeeper-batsman was seen giving advice to the young star in the middle of matches.
During a recent event, MS Dhoni also spoke about his retirement plans. He stated that he would take a decision only after the retention rules are announced. He also mentioned that his decision will be in the best interest of the Chennai Super Kings in the future.
Reports claim that most franchises are pushing to retain 6 players and at least one of them for uncapped players. If that happens and the old policy is re-implemented, Chennai Super Kings could retain MS Dhoni in that position and retain their core group.
The core group for Chennai Super Kings is likely to include captain Ruturaj Gaiwad, Matheesha Pathirana, Ravindra Jadeja and one of the following – Daryl Mitchell or Rachin Ravindra. If the old policy is maintained and 6 retentions are allowed, it will be a win-win scenario for the five-time league champions.