MS Dhoni is high on CSK's retention priority list© BCCI/Sportzpics
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) continues to mull over its Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 strategy. The franchises and their bosses have already submitted preferences over the number of players they wish to retain. While some franchises have requested the retention number to go as high as 8, some aren't keen to retain even a single player. While the final retention number is likely to be 5 or 6, the BCCI is yet to issue a formal communication on the matter. However, another pressing topic that the Indian board is busy with is the categorisation of retired players as 'uncapped'.
It was the Super Kings who reportedly urged the BCCI to bring back the old rule where a retired player can be categorised in the uncapped section of players. CSK made the request hoping that the return of the rule would allow them to retain MS Dhoni at a cheaper price. But, there are other challenges with the topic too.
As per a report in Cricbuzz, the BCCI is set to delay the announcement of retention rules to September end. Earlier, August was the deadline. The board is reportedly seriously considering CSK's request as Dhoni's extension as a player by another year doesn't just benefit the franchise but also the IPL overall.
However, the report also says that Dhoni's retention is among the top priorities for CSK. Should the BCCI only allow two retentions per franchise, the Thala would be retained.
As far as the topic of cost for retention of uncapped players is concerned, the BCCI is contemplating the idea of deducting balance from franchises' purses based on the number of retentions they make, not based on categories of players retained. This way, the franchises would be able to decide what amount they wish to pay to the retained players.
Hence, whether Dhoni get retained as a capped player or uncapped, the money that the BCCI would need to pay him would solely be their decision.