Dhoni likely to be one of CSK's five retained players for IPL 2025 mega auction.

Chennai Super Kings have decided to retain MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, and Sri Lanka's rising star Matheesha Pathirana for the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction.

The amounts CSK are paying to each retained player is yet to be confirmed but they will lose at least INR 65 crore from their overall purse of INR 120 crore. The five retentions will leave them with one right-to-match option at the auction.

Dhoni, 43, is likely to be retained as an uncapped player after the IPL brought back a rule that allows those who haven't played international cricket for five years to be considered in the uncapped category. He hasn't played for India since the 2019 ODI World Cup.

October 31 is the deadline by which the ten franchises have to submit their list of retained players to the IPL ahead of the mega auction. The teams have been allowed to retain up to six players ahead of the mega auction before the 2025 season, of which a maximum of five can be capped internationals and two can be uncapped players. While the IPL has set minimum deductions from the auction purse for each player retained - INR 18 crore for the first player, INR 14 crore for the second, INR 11 crore for the third, INR 18 crore for the fourth, INR 14 crore for the fifth, and INR 4 crore for an uncapped player - the franchises are free to pay more or less than those amounts to their retained players.

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