MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ravindra Jadeja: Chennai Super Kings’ No-Brainer Retentions for IPL 2025
Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja has identified MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ravindra Jadeja as the three indispensable players for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
“MS Dhoni for sure. There’s no doubt about that, especially because he’s now an uncapped player. He’s done a lot for the team and has no desire to be treated as the No. 1 player on the squad. His value is unquestioned,” Jadeja stated.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, the current CSK captain, has also earned Jadeja’s endorsement. “He’s had a good year, so you’ll hope to retain him as well,” he said.
Ravindra Jadeja, the all-rounder, completes Jadeja’s trio of must-haves. “He can’t be left out either,” he emphasized.
Ex-India batter Aakash Chopra believes the Right to Match (RTM) card will be advantageous for CSK. “I don’t think they’ll retain five players. They might go for 3-4. I see two players worth 18 CR in Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja,” he said.
Chopra also suggested that CSK could use the RTM card for Deepak Chahar, depending on his fitness. “The price for these players is really high, so the RTM card could be useful to get players for cheaper,” he explained.
Regarding the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Chopra believes they may let go of their current skipper Faf du Plessis. “It’s not about his ability; it’s about his age. When you’re talking about a mega auction, it’s for the next three seasons,” he said.
Jadeja, on the other hand, thinks RCB will be more cautious with their retentions. “We don’t even need to discuss Virat Kohli; it’s the same as Dhoni. I favour Rajat Patidar, whether it’s his style or his role in RCB’s revival. He’s the future,” he said.
Jadeja also highlighted the importance of wicketkeeper-batsmen and suggested that RCB could retain Mohammed Siraj and Yash Dayal.
