The Indian Premier League's (IPL) Governing Council, earlier last month, cleared the decks for Chennai Super Kings to retain MS Dhoni as they reinstated the old ‘uncapped player’ rule, which was scraped in 2021. The rule helped Chennai retain Dhoni for just INR 4 crore, as the former captain is all set to enter his 18th IPL season next year. However, former cricketer Mohammad Kaif and Sanjay Manjrekar showed no mercy in taking a brutal dig at the rule.

Chennai retained five players - captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (INR 18 crore), Matheesha Pathirana (INR 13 crore), Shivam Dube (INR 12 crore), Ravindra Jadeja (INR 18 crore) and Dhoni - ahead of the mega auction next month, leaving them with one RTM option and a purse of INR 55 crore.

Speaking to Star Sports on Thursday, Kaif reckoned that CSK played the ‘uncapped player’ rule cleverly, which helped them same close to 15 crore of auction purse, implying that they could fit in two more big-name players at the auction.

“CSK have played really well. They have saved 10-15 crores. I feel that the way this rule was brought back because we were driven by emotions, and we all really wanted MS Dhoni to play another year...I feel CSK played very smartly there. Yes he is taking less money, but it would allow CSK to buy big names players at the auction,” he said.

‘Kaif and Me are also uncapped players’

However, the India great did not seem in support of the retention rule that allowed Dhoni to continue his IPL career, explaining that the true meaning of an uncapped player is one who is yet to make an international debut.

“I feel whichever player plays for India, I was 36 when I last played an international match for India... now if I get dropped from the team, but continue to have a good IPL run, then I should not have come under the uncapped player rule. These are those players who have not played an international match yet. Yeh toh chal chal di CSK walein bariyan. And they played it so well, because we all became emotional, having git the opportunity to see Dhoni for another year in IPL. I feel CSK got the advantage of buying two extra players at the auction,” he added.

Manjrekar, who was part of the panel as well, took a dig saying that the rule meant he and Kaif are now uncapped players despite having played for India.

“This has been a reincarnation of Dhoni because this rule has been re-introduced only to bring him back. The positive thing is even you (Kaif) are an uncapped player now and so am I,” he said.

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