Indian veterans MS Dhoni, Sandeep Sharma to be used as uncapped players

As the saying goes, "old is gold," and IPL franchises clearly recognise the enduring value of seasoned players. In preparation for the IPL 2025 retentions, the BCCI reinstated the 'uncapped player' rule, last applied before 2021, for the upcoming mega auction. Under this rule, Indian players who have not played international cricket in the past five years or do not hold a central contract are classified as uncapped. This designation allows franchises to retain them at a base price of INR 4 lakh.

The Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals capitalised on this rule, managing to retain Indian veterans MS Dhoni and Sandeep Sharma, respectively. Ahead of the retention announcement, there was a lot of buzz if the CSK veteran and former India captain MS Dhoni would return for another season, having led the franchise to six IPL titles. Since Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020, he was eligible to be considered as an uncapped



player and be retained in that category by CSK.

Dhoni returns for another IPL season

Apart from Dhoni, CSK retained Ruturaj Gaikwad (INR 18 Crore), Matheesha Pathirana (INR 13 Crore), Shivam Dube (INR 12 Crore), and Ravindra Jadeja (INR 18 Crore). After five retentions, CSK have used INR 65 Crore out of their INR 120 Crore Purse value and have INR 55 Crore to build their remaining squad in the mega auction.

Rajasthan Royals have retained six key players, including captain Sanju Samson, ahead of the IPL auction scheduled for later this year. Joining Samson on the retained list are Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, and Sandeep Sharma. This decision leaves the Royals with a substantial auction purse of Rs. 41 crore. With six players already secured, the Royals will also have Right To Match options available for the upcoming mega auction, giving them added flexibility in shaping their squad.