File photo of MS Dhoni© BCCI/Sportzpics
Months have passed since the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season concluded but there's still no confirmation on MS Dhoni's future with the Chennai Super Kings. Dhoni stepped down as the captain of the franchise ahead of the start of the season this year, paving the way for Ruturaj Gaikwad to lead the team. Though CSK didn't qualify for the playoffs, there were plenty of positives to take from Ruturaj's leadership. But, does that mean it's all over for Dhoni as a player? As per reports, the Thala's continuity in the league solely depends on the retention decision the IPL management and the BCCI take.
With a mega auction scheduled to be held before the start of the IPL 2025 season, there isn't much clarity around the number of players the BCCI will allow the franchises to retain. According to a report in Cricbuzz, Dhoni's continuity in the league as a player is only possible if the BCCI allows the retention of 5 to 6 players in each franchise.
At present, the players who are most likely to be retained by the Super Kings include skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana, and Shivam Dube, though the order of retention could be wary.
Earlier, it was reported that the IPL bosses had invited franchise owners for a meeting on July 31 where the retention matter would be discussed.
IPL CEO Hemang Amin reportedly sent text messages to the franchise owners for the meeting, though the timing and venue weren't confirmed at that point in time.
"Amin is understood to have also indicated that the meeting would occur in the late afternoon or evening on July 31. It is believed that all the owners have confirmed their availability for the meeting," a report said.
"While the exact venue has not been confirmed, the congregation is expected to take place at the Cricket Centre, the BCCI headquarters, located within the Wankhede Stadium complex in Mumbai," it added.
The report also stated that retention of 5-6 players could be allowed by the BCCI.