The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) may reintroduce a rule that places players who have retired from international cricket for at least five years into the uncapped category. This decision could be announced when they set the rules for the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL).
This rule, which was used since the IPL’s first season, was removed in 2021 as it had never been applied. However, it was recently discussed again during a meeting between IPL team owners and the BCCI. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) management strongly supported bringing back this rule.
It’s clear that not many teams agreed with CSK’s idea on July 31, but the Indian cricket board is seriously thinking about bringing it back. If they do, this rule would let CSK keep MS Dhoni even though he’s not considered a top player, and they could also keep most of their best players.
“There’s a good chance this rule might return. It was talked about a lot at the meeting last month and it could be brought back when they announce the new player rules,” says a source who knows a lot about what’s happening.
According to the recent rules about keeping players, a team would only need to pay Rs 4 crore for a player without a set price. This might let Dhoni keep playing for CSK without spending too much on his salary. Before the big player auction in 2022, CSK kept Dhoni by paying Rs 12 crore.
Before the IPL 2024 started, Dhoni gave the captain job to Ruturaj Gaikwad and played all the games that season. He scored 161 runs with a very fast rate of 220.55. Usually, he would bat when there were not many balls left, but he made a big difference in the 73 balls he played.
At a recent event in Hyderabad, the ex-captain of CSK discussed playing in the IPL and mentioned that he would decide after seeing the new player rules.
“There’s still a lot of time. We need to know what they decide about keeping players, etc. Right now, we can’t do anything. Once the rules are set, I’ll decide, but it has to be good for the team,” Dhoni said.
This rule has been a hot topic for a few weeks, and R Ashwin thinks Dhoni is no longer considered a capped player.
“Will Dhoni play as an uncapped player? That’s a big question. The point is right. He hasn’t played international cricket for a long time. He’s retired. So, he’s an uncapped player. He’s not a capped player,” Ashwin said on his official YouTube channel.
“Is it possible for a player like Dhoni to play without a cap? That’s a different discussion. Clearly, if anyone mentions Dhoni, everyone will be interested in the topic,” the off-spinner said.
The comeback of this rule would be good news for both CSK and Dhoni fans, as it might give them one more season to watch their favorite player, Thala, in action.
