On Saturday night, the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council unveiled the player retention rules. According to the 8-point announcement, any Indian players who haven’t participated in an international match for at least five calendar years will be classified as ‘uncapped’. It has also been revealed that the retention cost for an uncapped player will be set at Rs 4 crore.
The retention rule regarding uncapped players, outlined in point No. 7 of the IPL’s official statement, allows the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to retain former captain MS Dhoni for another season as an uncapped player. The iconic wicketkeeper-batter, who last represented India in the 2019 ODI World Cup semifinal, will be retained for Rs 4 crore, significantly benefiting the franchise as it prepares for the upcoming mega auctions.
Fan Reactions to the Retention Policy
However, the retention policy has sparked mixed responses from fans eager for clarity on Dhoni’s IPL future. While some cricket enthusiasts are excited about seeing the legendary player back in action, others feel that keeping Dhoni as an uncapped player is a sign of disrespect towards the former captain.
If CSK retains MS Dhoni as an uncapped player, it will be the biggest disrespect to MS Dhoni.
They literally bought a defunct rule back just to accommodate him because they don't want to pay him the big bucks which is so wrong.
If I was a CSK supporter, I would be ashamed.… pic.twitter.com/RszZSORayt
— Sameer Allana (@HitmanCricket) September 28, 2024
🌟 MS DHONI WILL BE UNCAPPED PLAYER 🌟
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 or does not have a Central… pic.twitter.com/XT6ReKcHmO
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 28, 2024
sad to see our childhood hero become a clown https://t.co/Yq11YvkZeQ
— 𝐻𝒶𝓇𝒾𝓉𝒽𝒶⋆.ೃ (@Kohli_thetic_X) September 28, 2024
They shouldn't retain ms dhoni at 4 cr
A captain with the 5 ipl trophy, shouldn't be retained at 4 cr.— sujay anand (@imsujayanand) September 28, 2024
Impact Player Rule to Continue
The IPL Governing Council, which met on Saturday, also decided to retain the contentious Impact Player rule for the IPL 2025 season. This rule, introduced during IPL 2023, has polarized opinions among fans. The final point of the IPL statement released on Saturday noted, “The Impact Player Regulation will continue for the 2025 to 2027 cycle.”
