As a player who is “uncapped,” MS Dhoni may sound exciting, but he is the talk of the town right now. However, what are the possibilities that MSD will join CSK as an uncapped player?
When it comes to cricket, there’s no greater name than MS Dhoni, whether it’s about winning all the major tournaments while wearing the India jersey as captain or inspiring his fiercely competitive Chennai team to five IPL titles. You expect MS Dhoni to take the champion’s seat with ease wherever it may be found.
Similar to the admirable loyalty we witnessed between FC Barcelona and football legend Lionel Messi, CSK and MS Dhoni exhibit it in the IPL. It’s also possible that MS Dhoni will hang up his boots and hand the torch to the following generation in the near future.
The question of whether he will play for CSK or not still stands, but it will be interesting to see if he does this before or after IPL 2025. Here are two guidelines to assist you comprehend the circumstances that might dictate whether or not he plays.
Does MS Dhoni have any IPL 2025 plans?
The Indian legend’s availability could be influenced by two factors: the IPL retention policy and, somewhat unexpectedly, the possibility that he will only play through the “uncapped” method.
Is MS Dhoni able to participate in the IPL 2025 without a cap?
Whether MS Dhoni may participate in the IPL 2025 as an uncapped player is one intriguing and significant question that is currently making headlines. Even if it sounds fascinating, it’s also a big deal, as CSK CEO Kasinath Viswanathan made clear when he asked the BCCI to revive a key regulation that was in place from 2008 to 2021 during a recent meeting.
This rule stipulated that a player would be considered uncapped if they had been out of international cricket for five years or longer.
What if Dhoni were to return as an uncapped player? In that case, his retention cost would come to INR 4 crore. Given that he now receives 16 crore from CSK, this would represent a reduction of around 12 crore. But if he were to return as an uncapped player, CSK would be able to keep both him and their core group. Even without MS Dhoni, they hope to develop this core group so they can continue to rule the game in the future.
Restoring that specific regulation appears to be nearly impossible, though, given the current circumstances. Other franchises reportedly opposed this plan during the meeting, claiming that it could upset financial stability and competitive equality.
IPL 2025’s retention guidelines
Now, aside from the unlimited case, retention policy IPL teams are now permitted to have four players on staff. This rule was changed in 2018 to allow teams to keep up to five players. But when LSG and GT entered the league in 2022, it expanded, and the retention threshold was lowered to four once more. According to sources, CSK is considering the team’s future in 2025 and may give priority to keeping Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesa Pathirana, and Shivam Dube over Dhoni.
The retention policy came up in a recent meeting between the BCCI and IPL owners because teams want to keep things balanced for a long time. The availability of MS Dhoni for the 2025 Indian Premier League would be greatly influenced by this.
It will be intriguing to watch how MS Dhoni might return to the field in the IPL 2025 given these considerations.