Indian veterans MS Dhoni, Sandeep Sharma to be used as uncapped players

MS Dhoni and Sandeep Sharma, some veterans of Indian cricket, became two of the uncapped players retained by CSK and RR respectively.

In Short

• MS Dhoni retained for Rs 4 core by CSK ahead of mega auction
• Sandeep Sharma becomes RR's 6th retention option
• Dhoni and Sandeep are two uncapped retentions for IPL 2025

As the saying goes, "old is gold," and IPL franchises clearly recognise the enduring value of seasoned players. In preparation for the IPL 2025 retentions, the BCCI reinstated the 'uncapped player' rule, last applied before 2021, for the upcoming mega auction. Under this rule, Indian players who have not played international cricket in the past five years or do not hold a central contract are classified as uncapped. This designation allows franchises to retain them at a base price of INR 4 lakh.

The Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals capitalised on this rule, managing to retain Indian veterans MS Dhoni and Sandeep Sharma, respectively. Ahead of the retention announcement, there was a lot of buzz if the CSK veteran and former India captain MS Dhoni would return for another season, having led the franchise to six IPL titles. Since Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on August 15, 2020, he was eligible to be considered as an uncapped player and be retained in that category by CSK.

IPL 2025 retention: Live updates

Dhoni returns for another IPL season

Apart from Dhoni, CSK retained Ruturaj Gaikwad (INR 18 Crore), Matheesha Pathirana (INR 13 Crore), Shivam Dube (INR 12 Crore), and Ravindra Jadeja (INR 18 Crore). After five retentions, CSK have used INR 65 Crore out of their INR 120 Crore Purse value and have INR 55 Crore to build their remaining squad in the mega auction.

Rajasthan Royals have retained six key players, including captain Sanju Samson, ahead of the IPL auction scheduled for later this year. Joining Samson on the retained list are Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer, and Sandeep Sharma. This decision leaves the Royals with a substantial auction purse of Rs. 41 crore. With six players already secured, the Royals will also have Right To Match options available for the upcoming mega auction, giving them added flexibility in shaping their squad.

How is Sandeep an uncapped player?

Sandeep Sharma has become a go-to slog-over specialist for Rajasthan Royals over the past two IPL seasons. Despite being overlooked for national duty since July 2015, the 31-year-old has revived his career, proving his value in the 2023 and 2024 IPL editions. Across these two seasons, he bagged 23 wickets at an economy of 8.4, with a remarkable 16 of those dismissals coming in the crucial death overs (16-20). His impressive performances, including 13 wickets in IPL 2024 at an economy of 8.18, have even sparked calls for his return to India’s T20I setup.