Dubai: As the IPL 2021 came to an and the mega auction for next year already doing the rounds, all eyes are on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Fresh from winning his fourth IPL with CSK after beating Kolkata Knight Riders in the final by 27 runs, speculations have started doing the rounds; what does the future look like for MS Dhoni? Was this the last game for MSD as a player?
Dhoni himself has kept everyone in splits stating, “You will see me in yellow next season but whether I will be playing for CSK you never know.” There’s no doubt that Dhoni and CSK can’t be separated. Since the inception of IPL in 2008, Dhoni has led CSK every single season so far.
Though Dhoni himself has expressed a desire to continue for CSK beyond this season, the 2022 campaign is a tricky one considering the mega auction later this year wherein, a franchise can retain only a couple of Indian players. Plus, two new teams will be added to the tournament making it a 10-team affair.
Super Chennai Boys 💛💛💛💛#SuperCham21ons#CSKvKKR #WhistlePodu #Yellove🦁 pic.twitter.com/1aO3T7MX6H
— Chennai Super Kings – Mask P😷du Whistle P🥳du! (@ChennaiIPL) October 15, 2021
The IPL governing council would come up with the retention policy; how many players each franchise would be allowed to retain, at what respective price tags. As of now, there is no clarity over the number of players that each franchise will be able to retain. Dhoni himself had cited this situation as the reason behind a possible inability of him to continue as a player beyond this season.
“There are a lot of uncertainties coming up; two new teams are coming. We don’t know what the retention rules are and so on. Money cap that every player will be cutting from the kitty. Unless the rules are in place, you can’t really decide. We will wait for it to happen. Hopefully, it will be good for everyone,” Dhoni said.
However, it is still unclear at what capacity Dhoni will be seen in yellow. While all of these can be discussed later, the main focus for Dhoni will be the T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman starting today, where the Ranchi-boy will be returning to the Indian dressing room, not as a player but mentor.
On Friday against KKR, Dhoni added another feather to his cap as he led for the 300th time in the T20s.
