“ThankYouDhoni” started trending on Twitter as fans saw the absence of MS Dhoni’s name in the BCCI’s Annual Players Contract list. And it once again sparked rumors overs his retirement from competitive cricket.
But the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) owner N Srinivasan on Saturday confirmed that the former Indian skipper will be part of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) and will be retained at next year’s auction as well.
“MS Dhoni will play this year. And next year, he will be in the auction, and he will be retained,” said Srinivasan in a recent event.
“MS Dhoni will play this year. And next year he will be in the auction and he will be retained.”
– N Srinivasan on @msdhoni 💛🦁#WhistlePodu #Yellove @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/8AWPhzUJCh
— WhistlePodu Army ® – CSK Fan Club (@CSKFansOfficial) January 18, 2020
MS Dhoni earns INR 15 crore every IPL season
The CSK had retained Dhoni ahead of the mega auction last time around, and according to it, the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman earns a whopping INR 15 crore every season. However, with age not on his side, the franchise seems to be planning to retain his services at a lesser price. Earlier, there were speculations about Dhoni’s participation in the IPL 2021, but Srinivasan’s recent comments have cleared that he will play in that season as well.
Most probably, MS Dhoni will bid farewell to the game after IPL 2021, and in the mega auction by securing his services, the CSK will look to build the side for the future. For now, the Chennai-based franchise have stuck with the same formula of experience in IPL 2020 and might revamp the whole squad ahead of the following season.
Meanwhile, even as it stays unclear if Dhoni plays for India again, Srinivasan’s statement confirms that he will play the IPL for at least the next couple of seasons.
.@msdhoni resumes his #IPL2020 preparation.
Here’s a clip from Thala’s net session with team Jharkhand yesterday!💛🦁 @ChennaiIPL #WhistlePodu #Dhoni pic.twitter.com/BI0uJkH4kl
— MS Dhoni Fans Official (@msdfansofficial) January 18, 2020