Image: Chennai Super Kings to retain MS Dhoni for IPL 2025 / © X (Twitter)
As the team prepares for the next edition, new Punjab Kings (PBKS) coach Ricky Ponting shared insights on Dhoni’s evolving role in the squad. Despite being in the final stages of his cricketing career, Dhoni showcased his adaptability last season, particularly in the death overs, where he displayed aggressive batting. In 14 matches, he accumulated 161 runs at an impressive strike rate of 220.55, reinforcing his significance in the lineup even as his batting position has shifted down the order over the years. Ponting expressed his point of view over this decision of CSK management and said,
Two seasons ago he probably had his worst season, but then last year again, he bounced back into really impacting some games like the MS Dhoni of old. I think it will be exactly the same now…they might not get him through the whole season. They might think about leaving him out for a game and resting him up here and there to make sure that they’re getting the best out of him.
Alongside Dhoni, CSK also retained four other key players. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and newly appointed skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad were retained for a lucrative amount of INR 18 crores. Shivam Dube and Matheesha Pathirana, these two promising youngsters were also included in the retention list at INR 12 crores and INR 13 crores, respectively. These decisions reflect CSK’s strategy to maintain a strong core as they aim for continued success in the IPL.