Defending champions Chennai Super Kings bowed out of the IPL 2024 by losing to Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday. More than the defeat, the fans speculated about whether MS Dhoni has played his last IPL match or not. While the ex-CSK skipper did not announce his retirement after the RCB match, that Dhoni’s end is near can be fathomed by the fact that Ruturaj Gaikwad was handed the captaincy ahead of the season. However, with Dhoni still not officially retired, the question arises whether CSK will retain their talismanic player in the IPL 2025 Mega Auction. It will most likely depend on various factors.
Will MS Dhoni retire?
If he retires before the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, then all these discussions go for a toss. Dhoni has been battling with injuries throughout the IPL 2024, and has even batted further down the order in order to sustain himself. If he decides to leave cricket after the tough season, it will be understandable.
IPL 2025 Mega Auction Retention rules
The retention rules for the IPL 2025 Mega Auction has not been determined yet. If the IPL franchises are allowed to retain 4 players each and if Dhoni is still in contention, then CSK will encounter a problem.
Latest News on MS Dhoni
If he decides to play another season, and franchises are allowed to retain 4 players, then CSK will most probably keep hold of skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja and Matheesha Pathirana.
In the event of Dhoni deciding to hang up his boots, CSK will probably retain Shivam Dube instead of Dhoni. So, all depends on ‘Thala’ now. And ‘Thala’ surely has a way to spring up surprises when one expects it the least.
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