MS Dhoni facing a 66% pay cut, while CSK breathes a sigh of relief following IPL auction news

The five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) breathed a sigh of relief on Saturday as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released the player regulations for the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), including details for the highly anticipated mega auction scheduled for November.

As the discussions around the IPL mega auction grew by the day, CSK's only concern was whether they could retain MS Dhoni, who had earlier clarified during an event that his future in the tournament depends entirely on the rules of retention. “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,” he had said.

But the decks have been cleared for the former India captain to continue his IPL career, with the BCCI reviving the "uncapped player" rule, which was earlier scrapped after 2021. According to the rule, as explained in the IPL statement released on Saturday, "a capped Indian player will become uncapped, if the player has in the last five calendar years preceding the year in which the relevant Season is held, not played in the starting XI in International Cricket (Test match, ODI, Twenty20 International) or does not have a Central Contract with BCCI. This will be applicable for Indian Players only."

The members of the IPL Governing Council reinstated the rule after they met in Bengaluru on Saturday, following a constructive dialogue with the owners of the 10 franchises in July at the BCCI Headquarters.

Dhoni, who had stepped down from captaincy before the start of the 2024 season, was retained by CSK for INR 12 crore. If CSK do retain the 43-year-old, who retired from international cricket in 2020, Dhoni would be paid a significantly less amount, which, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo, stands at INR 4 crore, implying a drop by 66.67 per cent.