IPL 2025: MS Dhoni to meet CSK officials next week
What's the story
Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni will meet the franchise's officials on October 29 or 30 to decide on his availability for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
The deadline for teams to submit their player retention list is October 31, as per the IPL governing council.
Notably, teams are permitted to retain a maximum of six players directly or via RTM (Right to Match) cards at the auction.
Career recap
CSK fret over Dhoni's participation with deadline approaching
On October 21, CEO Kasi Viswanathan revealed that Dhoni has promised to make his decision known by October 31, the deadline for submitting the retention list.
"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 that he will play," Viswanathan said.
This keeps CSK and their fans on the edge as they await his announcement.
Uncapped player rule
Dhoni's potential return to CSK for another season
Ahead of IPL 2025, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) introduced a new retention policy.
According to this, a player who hasn't played an international match for five years can be retained as an uncapped player for ₹4 crore.
This rule change could possibly sway Dhoni's decision about his future with CSK, and maybe even allow him to play another season.
Retention cost
CSK can retain Dhoni for ₹4 crore
Before the big 2022 auction, Dhoni was retained by CSK for ₹12 crore.
However, if CSK decide to keep him on board now as an uncapped player, his pay would plunge to ₹4 crore.
Since hanging up his boots in 2020, Dhoni has only been around for the IPL and has steered clear of any international cricket.
After undergoing knee surgery in 2023, he passed on the CSK captaincy baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad ahead of the 2024 season.
Information
Dhoni struck at over 220 in IPL 2024
Despite battling a knee injury, Dhoni racked up 161 runs in eight innings at a staggering strike-rate of 220.25 in IPL 2024. In every other match, he came out to bat in the final two overs, which further enthalled the crowd. Dhoni smacked a total of 13 sixes throughout the season.