Dhoni will be retained by CSK in 2021: N Srinivasan

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has not played any competitive game since the ICC World Cup semis last July, will be retained by Chennai Super Kings in the 2021 IPL auctions even if he never plays for Team India again, stated former BCCI president N Srinivasan.

Recently, Dhoni was not offered a central contract, which sparked rumours of his impending retirement. However, Srinivasan, the vice-president and the managing director of Indian Cement, the owners of CSK, clarified that Dhoni will continue playing for the franchise next year as well.

“People keep saying when will he… how long will he play, etc. He will play. I can assure you. He will play this year. Next year he will go (to) the auction; he will be retained. So there is no doubt in anybody’s mind,” Srinivasan said at an India Cements event.

Dhoni has been a part of the CSK unit since the first season of the IPL in 2008. However, he played for Rising Pune Supergiant for two years when the franchise had been suspended. The wicket-keeper has tasted considerable success in the IPL, guiding CSK to the title three times.

Dhoni, who was dropped from the BCCI contracts on Thursday, recently returned to training with the Jharkhand Ranji trophy team. He looked fluent while batting after a long time. He was in the A category till last year, which fetches a cricketer INR 5 crore every year.

Dhoni’s contract not being renewed, however, was not surprising, as he has not played for over six months. According to sources in the BCCI, to earn a contract, a player has to play at least three T20Is in a season. Dhoni has also been tight-lipped about his future with Team India, which has even earned him criticism from players like Sunil Gavaskar, who asked how someone can stay away from playing for India for so long.

Dhoni has played 90 Tests, 350 ODIs and 98 T20Is so far, and has helped them to win two World Cup titles as well, including the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa and the 2011 World Cup at home.