Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have made it clear that they are fully committed to retaining their legendary captain MS Dhoni for the IPL 2025 season, no matter the circumstances. Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to release the retention policy for the upcoming mega auction, CSK has expressed their intention to keep Dhoni in the squad.
Dhoni’s Future Not Tied to Retention Policy
Earlier reports suggested that Dhoni’s participation in IPL 2025 would depend on BCCI’s retention rules, which are still not finalized. There was speculation that if only a limited number of players could be retained, Dhoni might not play. However, according to a recent Cricbuzz report, CSK has dismissed this concern. CSK officials have confirmed that if Dhoni chooses to continue playing, they will make him one of their retained players, even if only two retentions are allowed.
Waiting for BCCI’s Retention Announcement
BCCI is expected to announce the retention policy soon, though reports suggest that the decision may be delayed until the end of this month. All franchise teams, including CSK, are eagerly waiting for the announcement, which could be made during BCCI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 29 in Bengaluru. Teams have already approached BCCI to clarify the retention rules for the IPL 2025 mega auction, but an official response is yet to come.
Changes in Uncapped Player Rule Expected
In addition to the retention policy, BCCI is also considering changes to the rules for uncapped players. Earlier, IPL had a rule where players who had retired from international cricket for more than five years were treated as uncapped. This rule was removed in 2021 but might be reinstated for IPL 2025, allowing retired players to be classified as uncapped, which would impact auction strategies for many teams.