MS Dhoni future is uncertain as BCCI announce five retentions before IPL 2025 mega auction, CSK to retain…

Chennai Super Kings will be hard-pushed to retain MS Dhoni if BCCI allows only five retentions ahead of IPL 2025 mega auction in November.

The cricketing world may have seen the last of former India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain MS Dhoni as an active cricketer. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 mega auction is a little over month’s away – set to take place in November – but Dhoni’s future in the T20 league looks uncertain for now.

According to media reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have decided to allow five retentions to each team ahead of the mega auction. It means that five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings will be hard-pushed to retain 43-year-old ex-skipper as one of the five players.

CSK had been pushing the BCCI to divide the retentions between ‘capped’ and ‘uncapped’ players and in that case Dhoni could have retained as an ‘uncapped’ player having retired from international cricket back in 2020. Dhoni himself hasn’t committed whether he will be available to play in IPL 2025, having just returned to the country from the United States on Wednesday.

“We are yet to hear from him. Once the BCCI makes a formal decision on the number of retentions, we will have a clear picture,” The Indian Express newspaper quoted CSK sources.

MS DHONI IS BACK IN INDIA…!!!!

– Time for IPL retention news soon. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/phJMKMIH7V

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 25, 2024

If Dhoni does agree to play in the IPL 2025 and with BCCI’s decision to have five retentions, the wicketkeeper-batter will need to take a massive pay cut and settle for the ‘lowest pay category’, according to the newspaper report.

“During the team owners’ meeting with the IPL Governing Council members on August 1, there were discussions about bringing back the rule which will allow franchises to retain players who retired from international cricket five years ago in the uncapped category. Clarity on this is expected only when the IPL announces its retention rules,” report added.

Dhoni has smoothly handed over the IPL captaincy to young CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad. Although CSK failed to make the playoffs in IPL 2024 but the side has been progressing well.

The former CSK captain has preferred to bat in the death overs in the IPL in the last couple of seasons due to a knee injury for which he underwent surgery last year. In IPL 2024, Dhoni scored 161 runs at a strike-rate of 220.55 with 13 sixes and 14 fours.

CSK have finalized three retentions

Meanwhile, the Chennai franchises have locked in on three players out of their 5 potential retentions. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad is one of them along with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and surprisingly Sri Lanka pacer Matheesha Pathirana, who Dhoni has groomed in the mould of Lasith Malinga over the last few year.

According to Indian Express newspaper, CSK have already reached an agreement with Pathirana to retain him before IPL 2025 mega auction. If the BCCI allows two overseas retentions, then Rachin Ravindra or Devon Conway could be one of CSK’s picks apart from Pathirana.