With the mega auction of the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) coming up, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) yet to deliver the rules and regulations for the retentions for the auction, there is no confirmation whether MS Dhoni, the former captain for the Chennai Super Kings, would be able to play that.
The reports have confirmed that the management of the five-time champions is trying their best to activate the old rule of the league where a retired player for more than five years could be considered as an uncapped player, and MS Dhoni could be used in that aspect.
The former World Cup-winning captain of the Blue Brigade handed over the captaincy duties to their young opening batter, Ruturaj Gaikwad, on the eve of the last season, as the Maharashtra-born did a great job, shouldering the responsibility. However, he failed to carry the team to the playoffs.
Should MS Dhoni lead CSK in IPL 2025? Subramaniam Badrinath opines
Chennai made a great comeback in the league after their two-year wait as they went on to win three titles of the league in the last seven seasons. MS Dhoni guided them to victory in the 2018 edition before being ended as the runners-up during the 2019 season. In 2021, they enjoyed their fourth title.
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Just before the start of the 2022 season, the Ranchi-born decided to hand over the leadership duties to their experienced spin all-rounder of the side, Ravindra Jadeja, to see if the latter would handle the pressure. The Gujarat-born failed to do so, besides losing his edge in the game with the ball and bat in hand.
Jadeja handed over the leadership duties back to MS Dhoni in the middle of the season before the 43-year-old equaled them with their fifth IPL title along with Mumbai Indians during the 2023 season.
Gaikwad did a decent job in the last edition of the league, but the former CSK and Indian middle order batter, Subramaniam Badrinath, felt that as long as the former captain of the notional side would be playing, the captaincy duties should be on that shoulder.
“I always feel that if MS Dhoni is to play until he keeps on playing, I think he should lead. That’s my opinion, you know. I feel that whoever you put as a captain on the field if MS is there, it’s impossible to see anyone as captain because he is (something else). Nobody can be like him, and that’s what I feel.” The Tamil Nadu-born reckoned during his exclusive interview with Inside Sport.
The veteran also failed to understand how having Dhoni in the field could groom a young captain for the future.
“So, my suggestion to the team if that works, is that if he plays, I want to lead with him. I don’t feel that you can stay in the field and still groom a leader. But, all long as MS Dhoni is on the field, he should lead the team.” S Badrinath wondered.
As a captain of the side, the wicket-keeper has led his side to 133 victories in 226 games at a win rate of 58.84, which is the best among those who have captained in at least 50 games of the IPL. With the bat in hand, the veteran is also the sixth-highest run-getter of the competition with 5243 runs in 229 innings at a strike rate of 137.53, celebrating 24 half-centuries.