The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has yet to officially specify the rules of retention for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) mega-auction, but the board is reportedly set to bring up an old rule at Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) request, which could help the franchise retain former India captain MS Dhoni.

The rule puts players who have retired from international cricket for over five years in the uncapped category. It has been in function since the inaugural season of the IPL until 2021, when it was scrapped because the rule was never used by any of the franchises. However, according to a report in News18, during the recent meeting between the respective owners of the franchises and the BCCI on July 31, CSK brought it up, with the management requesting that the board reinstate the rule.

The report further added that while CSK did not receive much support from fellow franchises, BCCI is strongly in favour of bringing back the rule, which could see Chennai retain Dhoni as an uncapped player and pursue their intention of retaining a core group of capped players. “There is a bright possibility of the rule coming back. It was discussed at length during the meeting last month and could well be brought back when the player regulations are announced,” a well-placed source told the website.

What did MS Dhoni say on his IPL future?

The development came just weeks after Dhoni, speaking at an event in Hyderabad, admitted that future in IPL depends entirely on the retention rules for the upcoming auction.

“There is a lot of time for it. We have to see what decision they take on player retention etc. Right now, the ball is not in our court. So, once the rules and regulations get formalised, I will take a call, but needs to be in the best interest of the team,” Dhoni had said.

Dhoni, who was retained for INR 12 crore in 2022, had stepped down from CSK captaincy ahead of the start of the 2024 season and handed over the duties to Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Earlier, former CSK player Ravichandran Ashwin, too, teased the possibility of Dhoni, who retired from international cricket in August 2019, featuring as an uncapped player in upcoming IPL season.

“Will Dhoni play as an uncapped player? That’s a big question mark. The point is correct. He hasn’t played international cricket for many years. He has retired. So, he is an uncapped player. He is not a capped player,” he had said on his official YouTube channel.

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