The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recently revealed new retention rules for the IPL 2025 season, with significant implications for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Under the updated regulations, any cricketer who has not represented India in the last five years will be classified as an uncapped player, which comes with a lower retention fee ahead of the auction. This new rule directly impacts former India captain MS Dhoni, making him eligible for retention at a reduced fee of just INR 4 crore.

In an official statement, the IPL clarified the new uncapped player rule: “A capped Indian player will become uncapped if the player has, in the last five calendar years, not played in the starting XI in international cricket (Test, ODI, or T20) or does not have a central contract with the BCCI. This will be applicable for Indian players only.”

With Dhoni's last international appearance in July 2019, the legendary CSK captain falls under this rule. This change is a huge boon for the Yellow Army, offering them the opportunity to retain their most iconic player at a significantly reduced fee. However, CSK’s management is yet to confirm whether they will utilize this option for the 2025 IPL auction

In a recent interview on the CSK YouTube Channel, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan shared his thoughts on the matter:

"We are not sure at this stage. We might not even use it for MS Dhoni. It's still too early to comment on this because we haven't had discussions with him. Dhoni was in the US and we haven't had discussions yet. Now I am travelling this week, so there is a possibility of some discussions in the coming week. So there could be some clarity then. We are hopeful of him playing but it's a call Dhoni will himself make."