The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auctions are set to take place in November, and the franchises have announced their retentions. Among the notable retentions, MS Dhoni’s return to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has garnered significant attention.
CSK retained Dhoni for Rs 4 crore under the uncapped player category, along with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (INR 18 crore), Matheesha Pathirana (INR 13 crore), Shivam Dube (INR 12 crore), and Ravindra Jadeja (INR 18 crore). Dhoni’s retention has sparked discussions about his potential role in the team.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes Dhoni should lead CSK in the upcoming season, stating that his captaincy would make the tournament more exciting. “Dhoni should become captain of CSK in IPL 2025. He played under Ruturaj Gaikwad last season. It was not so much fun to watch. Even if Dhoni doesn’t bat, he can make more impact as captain and wicketkeeper alone for CSK,” Manjrekar said.
Mohammad Kaif, another former India star, praised CSK’s retention strategy, highlighting the financial advantage it provides. “CSK have played really well. They have saved 10-15 crores. I feel that the way this rule was brought back because we were driven by emotions, and we all really wanted MS Dhoni to play another year…I feel CSK played very smartly there. Yes, he is taking less money, but it would allow CSK to buy big names players at the auction,” Kaif said.
Kaif also expressed his belief that players who continue to perform well in the IPL after being dropped from the Indian team should not be subject to the uncapped player rule. “I feel whichever player plays for India, I was 36 when I last played an international match for India… now if I get dropped from the team, but continue to have a good IPL run, then I should not have come under the uncapped player rule,” he added.
