Don't Retain MS Dhoni as an Uncapped Player? R Ashwin's Shocking Take on CSK's Possible Retentions

Ravichandran Ashwin has surprisingly omitted MS Dhoni’s name when suggesting an uncapped retention for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). On his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin gave a different take on Chennai’s retention scenario.

Ashwin claimed that he would consider choosing Dhoni as a capped player. Whereas, for the uncapped category they should go with upcoming cricketer Sameer Rizvi in the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“I will give a fresh perspective. I will retain Rutu (Gaikwad), Jaddu (Jadeja), Dube, Pathirana and Dhoni. I will retain Dhoni as a normal capped player, not as an uncapped player," he said. “I’ll retain these five and will get Sameer Rizvi as my sixth retention," Ashwin added.

In another video on his channel, Ravichandran Ashwin also referred to the Mumbai Indians while suggesting that both teams can retain six players ahead of the 2025 IPL auction. “If you say Mumbai Indians can retain six players, why can’t CSK? We have Ruturaj (Gaikwad), Jadeja (Ravindra Jadeja), (Matheesha) Pathirana, (Shivam) Dube, MS Dhoni and Sameer Rizvi," Ashwin said.

The IPL Governing Council’s decision to bring back an old rule has resulted in slight turmoil in the world of cricket. The said rule allows an Indian player who has not played internationally for five or more years to be retained as ‘uncapped’. This has now opened a path for CSK to retain five-time IPL-winning captain MS Dhoni for just Rs 4 crores.

Earlier Sunrisers Hyderabad CEO Kavya Maran also had some words to share on the current situation around capped/uncapped cricketers. She was of the view that tournament organisers should not treat retired players as uncapped during the retention process. She instead suggested that the cricketers in question should come to the auction.

While Kavya Maran did not name MS Dhoni when giving her statement, she appeared to hint at the legendary India skipper. “When new uncapped players get more money in the auction, it sets a wrong precedent to allow senior players to be retained as uncapped. Let the auction dictate the value and calibre of the retired player, thereby respecting their contribution to the game over the years," she told Cricbuzz earlier this year.

It now remains to be seen how the team management will proceed with the retention process.