MS Dhoni has no desire to be treated as the No. 1 player: Ajay Jadeja

There were talks of MS Dhoni bidding adieu to the Indian Premier League ahead of its 2025 season. The speculation arose from the likely continuation of the old four players' retention where retaining Dhoni would have most certainly meant losing a key player who could well have stayed with the franchise for much longer. But the BCCI, in its revised rules, updated the retention number to six with an added uncapped player slot. 

With that, the prospects of the former CSK captain continuing have ignited fervour among fans. It is worth noting that Dhoni has not played an international game since 2019 and this makes him eligible for uncapped retention. Former India cricketer, Ajay Jadeja seconded the thought and said that the veteran’s “value is unquestioned”.

Also Read: 'Two-time World Cup winner is now uncapped' - Harbhajan as IPL revives 'uncapped' player rule

"MS Dhoni for sure. There's no doubt about that, especially because he's now an uncapped player. He's done a lot for the team and has no desire to be treated as the No. 1 player on the squad. His value is unquestioned. Ruturaj Gaikwad is the captain, and he's had a good year, so you'll hope to retain him as well. Ravindra Jadeja can't be left out either, so these three, I think, are perfect for them," Jadeja said on Jio Cinema.

I don't think CSK retain five players: Ajay Jadeja

With the retention debates on, CSK are highly likely to go for Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ruturaj Gaikwad as the top three retentions. The further headache starts with the likes of Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana and Shivam Dube. Jadeja opined that the five-time champions could use the Right to Match card for Chahar as his fitness is under wraps.

Also Read: Retention rule change leaves door open for 'uncapped' MS Dhoni in IPL

"I don't think they'll (CSK) retain five players. They might go for 3-4. I see two players worth 18 crore in Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja. If you want to keep them, you have to match that price. Other than that, they have MS Dhoni, Shivam Dube, and Matheesha Pathirana. I think they'll keep Dube and use the RTM card for Deepak Chahar, maybe, depending on his fitness. The price for these players is really high, so the RTM card could be useful to get players for cheaper. If Dube is sold in the auction, he might fetch over 10 or 11 crore," he added.