In a thrilling announcement for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans, CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed on October 26 that MS Dhoni will return to play in the Indian Premier League IPL 2025. The confirmation comes a day after Dhoni expressed his desire to enjoy the "last few years" of his cricket career, igniting excitement in the cricketing world.

Speaking to Cricbuzz, Kasi Viswanathan expressed the franchise's delight over Dhoni’s decision. “When he is ready, what else do we want? We are happy,” he said, reflecting CSK's eagerness to have their legendary captain back on the field.

During a recent event, MS Dhoni revealed his intentions for the upcoming IPL season, sharing that while it won’t be easy to control emotions, he is focused on enjoying the game. “I just want to enjoy whatever last few years of cricket I am able to play. It’s not easy. The emotions keep coming, the commitments are there, but I want to enjoy the game for the next few years,” Dhoni stated.

To keep up with the demands of professional cricket, Dhoni emphasized the importance of staying fit. “I have to keep myself fit for nine months so that I can play two and a half months of IPL. You need to plan it out, but at the same time, chill a bit,” he added.

In addition to Dhoni’s return, CSK's retention strategy for IPL 2025 is taking shape. Ravindra Jadeja is expected to be the team's first retention, followed by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Matheesha Pathirana, who has made a strong impression with his pace, will likely be retained as the third player. CSK is also considering retaining two more players from Shivam Dube, Devon Conway, and uncapped player Sameer Rizvi.

Kasi Viswanathan also confirmed that MS Dhoni will be in direct communication with CSK owner N Srinivasan to finalize the list of retained players. As per IPL rules, Dhoni can be retained as an uncapped player for ₹4 crore, further boosting CSK’s retention strategy.The official announcement for the retained and released players is set for October 31, keeping fans eagerly awaiting the final squad lineup.