"As long as MS wants to play, the doors are open" - CSK CEO makes honest admission on Dhoni’s future with the IPL franchise
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan has stated that Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be part of the franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as long as he wants to play. Praising the former captain's commitment and dedication, Viswanathan asserted that the 43-year-old will know when his time is up.
After plenty of drama and suspense, CSK retained Dhoni as an uncapped Indian player for ₹4 crore ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. The former India captain was retained on the basis of the modified IPL rules for 2025-27 as per which any Indian cricketer who hasn't played international cricket for five years and doesn't have a central contract will be considered uncapped.
During a conversation with former CSK batter Ambati Rayudu on Provoke TV, Viswanathan discussed Dhoni's future with the franchise. He said (as quoted by Hindustan Times):
"As far as Mahi bhai (brother) is concerned, you know he keeps everything to himself. It comes out at the last moment only. Knowing the passion he has for CSK, and also knowing the following he has, and he also mentioned in one of the interviews that he'll play his last game in Chennai, we're hoping that he will continue as far as CSK is concerned.
"As long as MS wants to play, the doors are open. Knowing him, his commitment, and his dedication, I'm sure he'll always take the right decision," Viswanathan went on to add.
Dhoni led CSK to their fifth IPL title in 2023. He handed over the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad for the 2024 season. Chennai Super Kings, however, failed to qualify for the playoffs.
"We have always tried to have the core of the team" - Viswanathan on CSK's retentions for IPL 2025
Dhoni apart, CSK have retained Gaikwad (₹18 crore), Ravindra Jadeja (₹18 crore), Shivam Dube (₹12 crore), and Matheesha Pathirana (₹13 crore) for the IPL 2025 season. Sharing his thoughts on the franchise's retentions, Viswanathan explained that following discussions with skipper Ruturaj, coach Stephen Fleming and Dhoni, they decided to retain the core of the team.
The CSK CEO said:
"As always, you (Rayudu) know better than me about the culture at CSK in the sense that we have always tried to have the core of the team. Initially, we had conversations with both Ruturaj the captain and also MS along with Fleming before we decided on the retentions.
"And, we were very clear that the players would help the team to grow, (those) who had stabilized the team in the previous years. It was very easy to decide on the retentions," Viswanathan concluded.
The IPL 2025 mega auction will be held in Jeddah on November 24 and 25. As many as 1,574 players have registered for the auction, but the long list will be pruned after feedback from franchises.