Dhoni as uncapped player? Ashwin discusses the possibility ahead of IPL 2025 retentions
On the eve of the IPL 2024 opener, legendary cricketer MS Dhoni went on to step down as the CSK skipper and handed the leadership baton to opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad, who failed to take the side to the playoffs as RCB toppled them in the do-or-die clash of the last game of the league stage match. After struggling with a knee injury, MS Dhoni's performance this season was quite remarkable, as the right-handed batter went on to hammer in 161 runs in 11 innings with a solid strike rate of 221.
While many cricket fans and pundits feel that it was MS Dhoni's last season, the former India captain has kept his cards close to his chest. In the same vein, veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin opened up about the possibility of MS Dhoni's presence in the IPL 2025 as an uncapped player. During the BCCI and IPL franchise owners meeting last week, it was remarked that the CSK side could retain MS Dhoni as an uncapped player if BCCI allowed fewer retention players ahead of the mega-auction.
Speaking about the rule here, if the player has been retired from international cricket for over five years, they will be called an uncapped player. Notably, MS Dhoni played his last game against New Zealand in the semi-final of the ODI World Cup 2019 in host country England.
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Can a player like Dhoni play as an uncapped player?: Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin seems perplexed as the five-time champions set to purchase the legendary wicketkeeper batter as an uncapped player this time who has been retired back in 2019. The 37-year-old cricketer feels that this might create huge controversy in the mega-auction.
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"Will Dhoni play as an uncapped player? That's a big question mark. The point is correct. He hasn't played international cricket for many years. He has retired. So, he is an uncapped player. He is not a capped player. Can a player like Dhoni play as an uncapped player? That is another conversation. Obviously, if someone talks about Dhoni, everyone will talk about it," Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
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