Former India and Chennai Super Kings‘ (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is back in India after vacationing in the US with his close friends. A video showing Dhoni arriving at the Ranchi airport has gone viral on social media.
The development related to Dhoni and the Indian Premier League (IPL) next up is whether the eagerly-awaited IPL retention rules allow CSK to retain their icon or will he go into the auction pool, or he decides to bid the league adieu.
Images of Dhoni watching an American football game at a stadium in the US had gone viral a few days ago, while speculations around his retention were rife in India despite the BCCI and the IPL governing body yet to declare the retention rules ahead of the mega auction.
The auction is likely to be held outside India in November.
It was earlier speculated that the CSK management has asked the BCCI to allow them to retain Dhoni as an uncapped player. However, the franchise’s CEO, Kasi Viswanathan, later denied those reports as just rumours.
“I have no idea about it. We have not requested it. They (BCCI) have themselves told us that the ‘uncapped player rule’ may be kept, that’s all. They haven’t announced anything yet. The rules and regulations will be announced by the BCCI,” Viswanathan had said.
In case the ‘uncapped player rule’, which allows the franchises to retain retired international players as uncapped, is reinstated, the CSK fans might get to see Dhoni in the yellow jersey for another IPL edition.
The rule was scrapped in 2021.
