The clock is ticking as the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises look to finalise their retention shortlist for the forthcoming mega auction. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly yet to convey the number of retentions a franchise can make ahead of the auction. The entire cricketing fraternity awaits BCCI’s call on the retention policy, but Chennai Super Kings are arguably more desperate to understand the retention guidelines than any other franchise, as the board’s policy could decide whether the legendary MS Dhoni plays another season or not.

According to a report in RevSportz, CSK have already drafted a 5-man shortlist of players they wish to retain ahead of the mega auction. Though there have been reports of the BCCI allowing franchises to retain as many as 6 players, including Right-To-Match, an official decision is yet to be conveyed.

The five players that top CSK’s retention list include the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, and MS Dhoni.

Surprisingly, there was no place for Deepak Chahar, Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell, Maheesh Theekshana, etc. in the retention list the franchise has reportedly drafted. Considering Dhoni might not play beyond the 2025 season, CSK really took a bold call by letting some of their top players go. 

CSK’s bosses had earlier also asked BCCI to bring back the old rule which allowed the franchises to retain a retired player in the uncapped category. However, the board hasn’t yet announced its decision on the subject. Whether such categorisation is allowed or not, isn’t yet known, but it is all but certain that Dhoni will be retained in the lowest-paying category.

The said rule allowed players who said goodbye to international cricket for more than 5 years to be treated as uncapped players. The rule started in 2008 and was in implementation till 2021, after which it was discontinued. Dhoni retired from international cricket in 2019. If the rule comes back, Dhoni and CSK would benefit.

Dhoni would be hoping to go on a high in IPL 2025 season, after CSK failed to qualify for the playoffs in the 2024 campaign. But, his largely depends on the retention policy the BCCI drafts.