When Dhoni was in the US, pictures of him visiting an American football game went viral on the internet. IPL fans back home were still waiting impatiently to find out if Dhoni would stay with CSK or retire from the league.
The retention rules for the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) have not been formally announced but speculations surrounding Dhoni’s retention have remained at the forefront of discussions as fans and pundits alike wonder if CSK will hold onto their talismanic former skipper.
Reports earlier suggested that the franchise had requested to retain Dhoni as an uncapped player, but these rumours were quashed by CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan, who denied any such discussions, calling them baseless.
Retention Rules in Focus
The upcoming IPL mega auction, anticipated to happen in November, is scheduled to be conducted in a location outside of India. As per a report from The Indian Express, BCCI is expected to permit franchises to retain up to five players. This regulation would guarantee that teams keep their main players, thereby preserving the franchises’ consistency and brand worth.
Nonetheless, it is probable that the 2025 auction will not include the right-to-match choice that gave teams the opportunity to match bids for their ex-players.
The decision on which players CSK will retain will be of particular interest. It is anticipated that Dhoni will be one of the five players retained by the franchise if he chooses to participate in the 2025 season. According to reports, individuals from CSK are waiting for an official decision from the BCCI on retention rules before making plans.
If Dhoni remains with the team, he might choose the lowest salary bracket to give the franchise more room to maneuver financially when signing other players. The option of bringing back a rule to keep retired international cricket players as uncapped players after five years may be considered, pending the release of official retention guidelines for clarity.
Before the 2022 IPL season, squads were permitted to keep a maximum of four players, including a maximum of three Indian players and two international players. Yet, it is still unknown if similar limitations will be in place on this occasion. Teams such as Mumbai Indians, who are considering keeping players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya, will gain an advantage from being able to retain five players.
