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Ahead of the IPL mega auction which is set to be held before the start of the next Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) had conducted a meeting requesting feedback and suggestions from franchise owners, regarding the auction structure.
One of the more popular talking points following the meeting has been the topic of uncapped rule for retired players.
According to BCCI's rule from the inaugural season, an Indian player who has been retired from international cricket for a period of five years, can also be considered as an uncapped player.
If this rule is applied, then former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain and superstar MS Dhoni along with his franchise can benefit massively from it.
Did CSK request BCCI to bring back uncapped player rule for MS Dhoni ahead of IPL 2025 auction?
According to CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan, the franchise did not make the request for MS Dhoni to be treated as an uncapped player.
He said that the rule which allowed a player who had been retired for five years, to be treated as an uncapped player, was already part of the charter set by BCCI at the time of IPL's inception.
"I have no idea about it - we have not requested it. BCCI have themselves told us that the 'uncapped player rule' maybe kept, that's all. They haven't announced anything yet," he told Times of India.
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While the uncapped rule was temporarily scrapped in 2021, Viswanathan had hinted that it was BCCI's decision to bring back the rule, which could directly benefit the Chennai-based franchise.
MS Dhoni who had retired from international cricket following the 2019 ODI World Cup, five years ago, is therefore, eligible to be treated as an uncapped player, according to the rule.
MORE: How does picking MS Dhoni as an uncapped player benefit CSK?
Do other IPL franchises approve bringing back the uncapped player rule that can benefit CSK and MS Dhoni?
Some owners like Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) owner Kavya Maran had objected to it during the meeting and suggested that the retired cricketers should not be treated as an uncapped player during the auction.
"Senior players have immense value in the IPL. They bring experience and some also bring brand value. By restricting their value to the uncapped amount, we are disrespecting the player and his value. Some retired players can go for much more in the auction than being retained as uncapped pre-auction."
"When new uncapped players get more money in the auction, it sets a wrong precedent to allow senior players to be retained as uncapped. Let the auction dictate the value and caliber of the retired player, thereby respecting their contribution to the game over the years," she had said.