The way is clear for the Chennai Super Kings to keep the famous MS Dhoni for another season as the BCCI has reintroduced the ‘uncapped player’ rule for the Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2025 to 2027. However MSD has not yet confirmed if he will play in IPL 2025.
Earlier this summer, MS Dhoni responded to fans’ worries about his future in the IPL by saying it would depend on the retention rules set by the IPL Governing Council.
He mentioned, “There is a lot of time for it. We have to see what decision they take on player retention etc. Right now, the ball is not in our court. So, once the rules and regulations get formalised, I will take a call, but needs to be in the best interest of the team.”
Last week, the BCCI officially brought back the ‘uncapped player’ rule, which had not been in place since 2021. This news brought relief to the Chennai Super Kings regarding MSD’s future.
Under this rule, a capped Indian player will become uncapped if they have not played in the starting XI of international cricket in the last five years or do not have a Central Contract with BCCI.
MS Dhoni last played in an international match during the 2019 ODI World Cup semifinal against New Zealand and retired a year later.
Despite the BCCI’s efforts to support Chennai reports say the franchise has not made any official statements about MSD’s participation in IPL 2025. According to Cricbuzz, MSD, who has led Chennai to five IPL titles, will meet with team officials in mid-October in Mumbai to discuss his decision.
If MSD decides to play in IPL 2025 he will have a significant pay cut of 66.67% compared to his previous retention price of INR 12 crore before the 2021 auction. Reports indicate that uncapped players can be retained for INR 4 crore.
