The Board of Control for Cricket in India is likely to meet the owners of Indian Premier League teams at its headquarters in Mumbai. This will decide all important things, including the retentions to be allowed of the players by each of the existing teams for the next season. As of now, this team of the IPL committee allows retention of only four players, but now there is a buzz of raising the number of retentions by the teams to six or maybe eight.
At the core of that argument is MS Dhoni, who had been at the heart of the Chennai Super Kings since its inception. The costliest player at the original IPL draft, Dhoni instantly became the face of the Super Kings for the next eighteen years. Under him, CSK has taken five titles and deep success in making the playoffs; hence, he is the legendary mascot for the franchise and its fans.
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While the player retention that BCCI will allow is still to be known widely, much of Dhoni’s stay with the yellow brigade hangs on that. Multiple reports in Cricbuzz have said that a call on Dhoni would only be made if CSK holds on to the core beyond the stipulated 4 players.
MS Dhoni is mulling a return in 2025 for CSK given IPL allows maximum 5-6 retention in the upcoming mega auction. CSK are apparently prioritising retentions of youngsters first. Hence, if the league agree for a maximum limit over 5, Dhoni could be seen in yellow colours again.
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Dhoni has not yet been confirmed for the 2025 season, which is causing more speculation throughout the league. Remaining would strongly depend on his fitness level and whether he can play another season. The Impact Player rule works for Dhoni, who can count on versatile players like Sameer Rizvi and Shivam Dube, who many times played a big role in this year’s 2024 season.
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“For the record, CSK was led out by Ruturaj Gaikwad – it was a move pre-planned and announced over a year back, the moment CSK won the 2023 IPL final against then-defending champions Gujarat Titans. What about Dhoni – retention or retirement – is a question the answer to which will be sought on August 15. The cricket world would be waiting to see what moves unfold over the coming weeks.”.
