MS Dhoni drops major hint on IPL future ahead of auction - ‘I just want to enjoy whatever last few years...’

Talismanic India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) great Mahendra Singh Dhoni has dropped a massive hint on his Indian Premier League (IPL) future with the mega auction looming. Days before the deadline (Oct 31) end for all ten teams to submit their retention list, Dhoni addressed questions surrounding his future in the cash-rich league.

Having relinquished his IPL captaincy on the eve of the last season, Dhoni played as a batter, though with a troubling knee. In 14 contested matches in IPL 2024, Dhoni scored 161 runs at a whopping strike rate of over 220, hitting 13 sixes and 14 fours during brief stays at the crease.

Dhoni, 43, remains an integral part of the CSK group, taking all decisions, from deciding the playing XIs to preparing the strategies to take a call on whom to retain. With the IPL 2025 mega auction just around the corner, to be staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the final week of November, Dhoni is yet to take a call on his future.

Per the franchise’s CEO, Kasi Viswanathan, Dhoni will wait until the last moment before announcing his decision.

"We have still no confirmation from him, though we will like him to continue playing for us," Viswanathan said in a chat with ESPNcricinfo. "Hope he will confirm before 31st [October]."

IPL rule change makes it easier for Dhoni

Meanwhile, thanks to the addition of an IPL rule that got scrapped in 2021, which reads that any Indian player who last played an international game at least five years before the retention date is eligible to play under the uncapped player category. MS Dhoni, whose final match for India came during the 2019 World Cup, qualifies to play as an uncapped player this year.

Although the BCCI has provided a minimum retention cap for five players (order-wise), every team can retain an uncapped player for INR 4 crore.

“I just want to enjoy whatever last few years of cricket I can play,” MS Dhoni said in a promotional event for a software brand, as quoted by Times of India.

“When you play cricket like a professional sport, it becomes difficult to enjoy it just like a game. That’s what I want to do. It’s not easy. The emotions keep coming, the commitments are there. I want to enjoy the game for the next few years,” he continued.

Chennai Super Kings haven’t announced their retention list yet, with SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) being the only franchise to indicate who would be retained ahead of next season.

(With inputs from agencies)