The rules and regulations regarding the retention of players in the IPL 2025 are currently being improved and strengthened. Meanwhile, the former legendary Indian cricketer MS Dhoni said that he would wait and watch how the rules are prepared before deciding his future with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Before the commencement of this year’s IPL season, Dhoni stepped down from his role as the CSK captain and appointed Ruturaj Gaikwad as his replacement. It seemed to be a strong hint about MSD’s retirement by aiming to nurture the young Indian cricketer. Under Gaikwad’s captaincy, CSK concluded in the 5th position in the IPL 2024 points table and failed to qualify for the playoffs despite Dhoni being spotted giving his valuable guidance in the middle of the games.

The 43-year-old CSK player has been a legend for his team in the IPL and several people claim that he is approaching the last stage of his cricketing career. Also, there have been speculations that the wicketkeeper-batter has participated in his last IPL season as a player.

Currently, many franchise owners are against conducting the mega auction for IPL 2025 and instead demand a mini-auction to have more retentions. As of now, there are common questions that are raging in every fan’s mind: Will MS Dhoni play IPL 2025 for CSK? Has MS Dhoni taken retirement from the IPL? Can CSK retain MS Dhoni under an uncapped player in the IPL? Let’s find out what the 5-time winning CSK captain said as well as reveal the answers to the unknown questions in detail…

Can Chennai Super Kings Retain MS Dhoni if the IPL 2025 Mega Auction is Conducted?

YES! Chennai Super Kings has special plans to retain MS Dhoni during the IPL 2025 mega auction only if the old rule is re-introduced that existed till 2021. According to that rule, if a cricketer has retired from all formats of international cricket for five years or more, they will be considered as an uncapped player.

In such scenarios, the Chennai Super Kings have the only option to retain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player if BCCI plans to re-establish this rule. Also, the team would be able to retain the uncapped player during the mega auction for INR 4 Crores only.

Furthermore, the latest reports reveal the fact that many franchises are requesting to retain upto six players, which includes the slot for uncapped players. If such happens with the return of the old policy, then it is certain that CSK would easily retain MS Dhoni along with the core players in the squad.

MS Dhoni About his IPL Retirement Plans: Take a Decision Only After BCCI Reveals the Retention Policy

In a recent event in Hyderabad, MS Dhoni revealed his upcoming plans for IPL 2025 stating that he would follow the wait-and-watch approach regarding the retention policies to make a correct decision:

“Not Sure! There is still much time left for the management and franchises to decide the rules regarding player retention. We have to observe the decision taken regarding the player retention policies. Currently, the ball isn’t in our court. Once the rules and regulations are finalized officially, I will decide by making sure it is the best for the team,” MS Dhoni said.

From the above statement, it becomes clear that even if MS Dhoni opts to retire as a player from IPL, still he would strive to contribute his best efforts for the Chennai Super Kings as a mentor. If the IPL governing council declares the retention rules that allow CSK to retain five or more players, then Dhoni might play an additional season for the team.

Overall Thoughts

MS Dhoni ranks as the most successful captain in IPL along with the former Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma, both having won the trophy 5 times.

As the mega auction is scheduled before the start of IPL 2025, BCCI has conducted a meeting with all 10 franchise owners to discuss various topics. It includes the player retention rules, Right to Match (RTM) Cards, Purse Value, Impact Player rule, a commitment of foreign cricketers towards the franchise league, and the player trading system.

Unexpectedly, the meeting took a new turn since many team owners demanded a mini-auction rather than a mega-auction to retain more players in the squad. If a mega auction is conducted, then every franchise has a chance to retain between 4 and 6 players only.

After the meeting with franchise owners at the Wankhede Stadium complex in Mumbai, the BCCI secretary Jay Shah communicated that there was a lively debate among the IPL team owners on a variety of issues. Furthermore, he stated that the suggestions that arose from this meeting would be passed on to the IPL governing council for further discussion and approval. Perhaps, this could be the main reason for MS Dhoni to wait for the official announcement from BCCI to decide upon his future participation in IPL 2025