It seems almost fitting that joy for the fans of CSK would be delivered with the seventh rule introduced in the newly-released IPL Player Regulations 2025-27, as MS Dhoni is now eligible to be recognised as an uncapped player in the upcoming IPL Mega Auction.
Ahead of the IPL 2025 Mega Auctions, the League’s Governing Council announced new player regulations with the teams allowed to now retain up to six players, with a maximum of five capped players and two uncapped players, through retention or the Right to Match (RTM) option.
A screenshot of the official IPL Player Regulations 2025-27 (BCCI)
IPL’s Reintroduction of the Original Uncapped Player Rule
The sweetest news of them all, especially for Chennai Super Kings, came in the seventh stipulation, which stated that Indian-capped players can be classified as uncapped if they haven’t played international cricket in the past five years.
The same rule had been introduced in the league right from the inaugural edition in 2008. The IPL Governing Council (GC), however, had it scrapped in 2021 as the rule had never been implemented throughout the league’s existence.
Here is the rule as follows:
“7. A capped Indian player will become uncapped, if the player has in the last five calendar years preceding the year in which the relevant Season is held, not played in the starting XI in International Cricket (Test match, ODI, Twenty20 International) or does not have a Central Contract with BCCI. This will be applicable for Indian Players only,” reads Rule 7 in the official release, published by the BCCI.
This means that MS Dhoni, CSK’s beloved talisman, will be recognised as an uncapped player in the upcoming Mega Auction.
The former Indian skipper played his last international game for India on July 10, 2019, during the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand, marking the end of a remarkable international career that spanned 16 years.
And as of the day the new set of rules for the 2025-27 cycle was released, Captain Cool has surpassed the necessary requirements and shall be eligible to be named an “uncapped player”.
Why is this good news for CSK? Well, the answer is simple: it makes retaining their talisman, MS Dhoni, a much easier and cheaper task.
How’s that the case? Well, as per previous retention rules, an uncapped player could be retained for just Rs 4 crores. Compare this to the price CSK paid in 2022, a whopping Rs 12 crores, to retain Dhoni and there you have your answer.
It would very predictably and understandably be of paramount importance for CSK (and preferable even the IPL) that Dhoni’s retention is ensured, for financial and professional success.
In fact, it had been reported earlier that CSK officials also maintained that should Dhoni decide to play next season, he would be one of their retentions, even if the BCCI permits only two retentions. Such is the pull of Captain Cool.
But, Dhoni himself said he would wait and see how the rules are before taking a decision on whether he wishes to continue playing.
“There is a lot of time for it. We have to see what decision they take on player retention etc. Right now, the ball is not in our court. So, once the rules and regulations get formalised, I will take a call, but needs to be in the best interest of the team,” said Dhoni at a promotional event in Hyderabad earlier in August this year.
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