Shaun Pollock, the former South Africa skipper, has expressed his reservations about Chennai Super Kings (CSK) retaining MS Dhoni as a franchise player ahead of the IPL 2022 auction.
MS Dhoni had said he hadn’t left behind with a wide grin when the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain was asked if the talismanic batsman is proud to have left a legacy behind in 12 seasons for the newly crowned Indian Premier League (IPL) champions. However, one of the most successful captains in the shortest format of cricket, MS Dhoni, had earlier admitted to the ‘uncertainties’ surrounding the 2022 edition of the cash-rich league.
Shaun Pollock Feels CSK Will Retain MS Dhoni As A Mentor In Managerial Role
Even after guiding CSK to their fourth IPL crown in the 14th season, MS Dhoni has remained in speculations about calling time on his incredible T20 career. However, when it comes to MS Dhoni’s future, a lot will depend on the retention policy of the BCCI for the mega auction. Former South Africa skipper Shaun Pollock feels CSK will retain MS Dhoni as a mentor for the 15th season of domestic cricket’s biggest extravaganza – the IPL.
MS Dhoni won CSK to four IPL titles and two Champions League T20 trophies. The 40-year-old is the only captain to have played more than 200 matches as a leader of CSK and Rising Pune Supergiants. IPL 2022 will see a majority of players going under the auction, and each franchise will be able to retain a maximum of three players. Considering the retention policy, which is yet to be announced, MS Dhoni might take over as the team’s mentor.
Shaun Pollock Would Go With Faf du Plessis, Ravindra Jadeja, And Ruturaj Gaikwad As The 3 Retentions
Discussing CSK’s retention strategy for the next season- IPL 2022 with ex-Indian player Ajay Jadeja, the legendary all-rounder, named his top three picks that CSK should retain in the build-up to the mega auction. According to Shaun Pollock, the CSK think tank can invest in star openers Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf Du Plessis, and veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja for the 2022 season.
“You have got to keep Ruturaj Gaikwad. Going forward, I feel he will be absolutely fantastic for them. Jadeja, I would hold on to because he’s been great with the bat and the ball. And I personally don’t think we will see Dhoni, I think he will be retained in a managerial role. I would probably go with Faf, Jadeja, and Gaikwad as the three retentions,” Shaun Pollock said.
This year, Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ravindra Jadeja were instrumental in CSK’s title-winning season. MS Dhoni-led CSK defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by 27 runs to clinch their fourth IPL title on Friday. All four of CSK’s IPL titles have come under MS Dhoni’s leadership. The 40-year-old has been CSK’s skipper since the inception of the tournament in 2008.
In the IPL 2021, the likes of CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (635 runs) and Faf du Plessis (633 runs) finished as leading run-getters in IPL 2021. Moeen Ali (357 runs), Ambati Rayudu (257 runs) also delivered in crunch situations. Dwayne Bravo (14), Deepak Chahar(14), Ravindra Jadeja(13), Josh Hazlewood(11), and Shardul Thakur(21) were amongst the wickets.
MS Dhoni does not know whether he would represent his franchise Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2022 as there are uncertainties about retention policy and the addition of two new teams. However, after winning the maiden World T20 in 2007 and 2011 ODI World Cup after a hiatus of 28 years to lead Chennai Super Kings to 4 Indian Premier League titles, the list of MS Dhoni’s achievements in white-ball cricket matches doesn’t have an end.