IPL 2021: Dhoni will be first retention – Another season of the Indian Premier League might have come to an end but the speculation surrounding Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni refuses to go down. At 41, he may not be the same batsman but that he led CSK to their fourth IPL title says a lot about the ‘Mahi way’. While the man himself kept it a mystery, for CSK management, the choice is obvious, ‘He is going to stay for another season.’
Even though the retention rules and other fine points haven’t been disclosed by the BCCI yet for the 10-team IPL 2022, CSK believes there will Right-To-Match (RTM) cards and the first one will be used for Captain Cool.
IPL 2021: It’s official! MS Dhoni to stay at CSK, official confirms, ‘First retention card at the auction will be used Dhoni’
“There will be retention and that is a fact. The number of retentions isn’t something we are aware of yet. But honestly, that is secondary in MS’ case because the first card will be used for him. The ship needs its captain and rests assured he will be back next year,” a CSK official told ANI.
However, another CSK official had said that a call on whether to retain Dhoni for the next season of the IPL will be taken only after knowing the rules of the system, a top Chennai Super Kings official said on Sunday. The retention rules have not been laid down as yet and two more teams are set to be added in the 2022 edition.
“The rules of retention are not clear yet…We are not sure about the number of retentions that will be allowed. And a call on that will be made once the rules are known,” the official told PTI when asked about the possibility of using a retention card to retain the talismanic Dhoni. The iconic CSK skipper is the toast of the cricketing world after guiding the franchise to a fourth IPL title on Friday in Dubai.
IPL 2021: Dhoni will be first retention – Speculations about MS Dhoni’s future has been rife for his dwindling batting form and at times sluggishness behind the stumps. That he dropped another catch in the IPL 2021 final wasn’t hidden. But the magic formula Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni bring together to deliver titles wasn’t lost. Hence, the pretty obvious question presenter Harsha Bhogle asked, ‘What do you think of the legacy you left behind?’
MS Dhoni came up with a quirky response, “I still haven’t left yet.”
IPL 2021: It’s official! MS Dhoni to stay at CSK, official confirms, ‘First retention card at the auction will be used Dhoni’
While that was the obvious hint at continuing for one more year and bowing out with another title in front of Chennai Crowd at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, he left it to the BCCI and the new retention rules when two more teams would be introduced in IPL 2022.
“Again I’ve said it before, it depends on BCCI. With two new teams coming in, we have to decide what is good for CSK. It’s not about me being there in top-three or four. It’s about making a strong core to ensure the franchise doesn’t suffer. The core group, we have to have a hard look to see who can contribute for the next 10 years.”
IPL 2021: Dhoni will be first retention – But for the Chennai Super Kings management, the answer is pretty simple, retain the Captain of the Ship even if he wants to be in the auction, clearing the salary purse for players to be bought.
IPL 2021: It’s official! MS Dhoni to stay at CSK, official confirms, ‘First retention card at the auction will be used Dhoni’
The CSK official confirmed that MS Dhoni, without any doubt, will be in the yellow jersey next season even if it means to use the RTM or go for straight-up retention, paying him the current salary of Rs 15 crore or even more.
“The first retention card at the auction will be used to retain the captain of the ship,” the official said.
IPL 2021: Why MS Dhoni’s future is doubtful?
- MS Dhoni at 41 has his age catching up with him.
- He isn’t the man with the best of reaction speed and has fumbled behind the stumps.
- For the second straight year, he had disappointed with the bat, averaging 16.28 in 16 innings.
- He struggled to play spin and failed to read the likes of Varun Chakravarthy. Once he was considered best batsman of spin.
- As he has taken up Team India’s mentor role, there were speculations whether he would take up a similar role in CSK next season, handing the baton to the next generation.
- But now, CSK official has confirmed whatever the retention rules are, Dhoni will be retained.
“Well, you can see me in yellow, but whether I’ll be playing for CSK there are a lot of uncertainties around it for a simple reason that we have two new teams coming up. We don’t know the retention policy. We don’t know how many foreigners, Indian players we can retain, the money cap that every player will be cutting from the kitty,” Dhoni said.
IPL 2021: It’s official! MS Dhoni to stay at CSK, official confirms, ‘First retention card at the auction will be used Dhoni’
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