The IPL 2025 mega auction is set to take place ahead of the IPL 2025 season. The BCCI held a meeting with the franchise owners in Mumbai on Wednesday. The agenda of the meeting was to understand the feedback and suggestions from team owners for the betterment of the overall structure of the tournament.
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Topics like the usage of the Impact Player rule, increment/decrement in retention, existence and the frequency of mega auctions, etc. were discussed. A verbal spat between KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan and PBKS co-owner Ness Wadia also broke out over the difference of opinion between the two sides.
On the other hand, reports have emerged of five-time champions, CSK asking for the return of a certain rule that was in play for 13 years between 2008 and 2021 so they could retain their former captain, MS Dhoni.
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How can CSK retain MS Dhoni?
Per Cricinfo, CSK have suggested returning a rule that was scrapped after the 2021 season. According to the rule, if a player has been retired for five or more years, they can be classified as uncapped.
In the IPL 2022 mega auction, Dhoni was retained by CSK for a total of ₹12 crores while an uncapped player in the same auction was retained for 8 crores less. If CSK are successful in bringing the rule back, Dhoni can be retained as an uncapped player in IPL 2025 since he has been retired from international cricket in August 2020.
However, the majority of the other franchises are against bringing the rule back into action. IPL 2024 finalists Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) owner Kavya Maran even considered the idea of classifying a decorated cricketer like MS Dhoni as an uncapped player ‘disrespectful.’
Dhoni in a recent event in Hyderabad said that he will be waiting before making a final call. The 43-year-old stated that he would wait until the retention rules are in place so he can make a final call keeping the best interest of the team in mind.
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