IPL 2025 Retention: Thala MS Dhoni and CSK, the romance should continue till next edition

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Nobody knows what the IPL 2025 retention list will be like. Most of it is speculative, as there is no official confirmation from any franchise.

Captains can change, and after that, when the auction takes place for the 18th season of the Indian Premier League, there will be more churning. However, one churning which is always going to happen is the mention of MS Dhoni.

MS Dhoni Is Cynosure of All Eyes Ahead of IPL 2025

Any mention of the 43-year-old still generates massive speculation. And with the evergreen Chennai Super Kings icon adding spice by saying he still has a few years of cricket left in him, there is a fresh twist.

Officially, one may have to wait till October 31 to see which players are retained by CSK. However, if what CSK CEO Kashi Viswanathan has hinted at, is going to be true, Dhoni will be part of the franchise in 2025.

Most talk on Indian cricket is on how the seniors have failed in the Test series against New Zealand, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja included. Dhoni has no such worries. He is far removed from it. In fact, he is a part-time cricketer, a luxury which few can afford.

Since the time he became part of the IPL circus in 2008, Dhoni has been a permanent fixture. More stories on his retirement have been written than anyone else, as far as the IPL is concerned. At the same time, if comeback stories are concerned, Dhoni's name crops up again. Repeatedly.

Dhoni Never Left IPL

Factually, that is wrong. Dhoni never left the IPL. He has always kept people guessing, though, this time, what he spoke in Goa at an event was a broad hint. It was more than suggestive that he is ready to return to his base in Chennai, which is his home away from home.

Players will be nervous when retentions are announced and when the auction takes place in Saudi Arabia. There is no such worry for Dhoni, the CSK headquarter's door is always open for him. He does not even have to knock on it.

Now there is no if and but, it is more or less take for granted Dhoni will be with CSK. How he gets in is no big mystery. As an uncapped player, since he retired long back from international cricket, he can enter the team at a lower price.

Again, that is wrong. As far as CSK fans and the franchise are concerned, he is priceless. He is a gem, he is a jewel, there is no price in rupee terms. What deal Dhoni strikes with the CSK will be on his own terms. That is due to respect and how the dynamics work between the two - Dhoni and Kasi.

The IPL auction and retention are all about buying and selling. Some turn out to be good and some are like rotten apples. Dhoni has no such issues, arms are open to welcome him back to CSK.

So what if he is not the captain, that's something he handed over to Ruturaj Gaikwad. Dhoni is evergreen, his presence is auspicious since Chennai folks still believe in tradition. At 43, Dhoni is indeed unique, he has a permanent home away from Ranchi. He will come well-prepared in terms of fitness.

If there is one legend, one man who has no worry about the IPL, it is Dhoni. Thala (Big Boss), as they call him down South. Lest we forget, CSK is Dhoni & Dhoni is CSK.