Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan has denied that the franchise requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to retain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player for the next IPL season. This comes amid reports that BCCI might bring back a provision allowing franchises to retain retired international players as uncapped, a rule scrapped in 2021.
Recent media reports suggested that CSK had approached BCCI during a recent meeting to treat former captain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player. However, Viswanathan refuted these claims in a conversation with the Times of India.
“I’ve no idea about it. We’ve not requested it. They (the BCCI) have themselves told us that the ‘uncapped player rule’ may be kept, that’s all. They (the BCCI) haven’t announced anything as yet. The rules and regulations will be announced by the BCCI,” said Viswanathan.
If the rule is reinstated, it would allow CSK to retain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player and retain most of their capped core. Ahead of the 2022 mega auction, CSK retained Dhoni for Rs 12 crore. According to the past retention policy, an uncapped player would cost a franchise Rs 4 crore, allowing Dhoni to continue playing for CSK without significantly impacting the team’s salary purse.
Dhoni handed over the CSK captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad before the start of IPL 2024. During the season, Dhoni scored 161 runs at a strike rate of 220.55, often coming out to bat in the final overs but still making a considerable impact in the 73 deliveries he faced.
At an event in Hyderabad this month, Dhoni commented on his IPL future, stating that he would wait for the player regulations before making a decision.
“There is a lot of time for it. We have to see what decision they take on player retention etc. Right now, the ball is not in our court. So, once the rules and regulations get formalised, I will take a call but needs to be in the best interest of the team,” Dhoni said.
As of now, CSK and Dhoni await the BCCI’s official announcement on the rules and regulations for the upcoming season. The possibility of the ‘uncapped player rule’ being reinstated remains uncertain until an official statement is made by the governing body.
