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The Indian Premier League (IPL) is set to witness the return of one of its most iconic figures, MS Dhoni, as he has confirmed his participation in the upcoming 2025 season. This news comes as a relief for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) fans, who were eagerly awaiting confirmation from their beloved captain. CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan expressed his delight, stating that they are thrilled to have Dhoni back in the team and that he will play whenever he is ready. Dhoni's decision to return to the IPL comes after his recent comments about wanting to enjoy the remaining years of his cricketing career.
Dhoni's statement, expressing his desire to play for the next few years and enjoy the game, has given CSK officials a much-needed clarity regarding their star player's future. Although Dhoni's participation was largely anticipated, CSK officials had been awaiting a final confirmation from him, which was expected by October 28. Now that Dhoni's intentions are clear, CSK is ready to finalize their player retention decisions. Viswanathan confirmed that Dhoni will soon have a discussion with franchise owner N Srinivasan to finalize the list of players to be retained.
With Dhoni's confirmation, the focus shifts to the player retention strategy. As an uncapped player, Dhoni's impact on the auction price will be limited to INR 4 crore. CSK is likely to retain Ravindra Jadeja as their top priority, followed by Ruturaj Gaikwad. Matheesha Pathirana, a key player for the franchise, has reportedly agreed to be the third retained player, with his manager finalizing the deal in Chennai last week. Two more players are expected to be retained from among Shivam Dube, Devon Conway, and Sameer Rizvi. These final decisions will be confirmed after Dhoni's discussion with Srinivasan. Dhoni is expected to return to Ranchi from Goa in the coming days.
Source: IPL 2025: MS Dhoni Ready To Play? CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan Gives Huge Update