IPL 2022 Mega Auction: Chennai Super Kings use its first retention card on MS Dhoni?

The build-up to the IPL 2022 Mega Auction would soon get underway. Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings might consider MS Dhoni as its first retention with no clarity on the retention policy.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is in a great mood, having won its fourth Indian Premier League (IPL) title, all coming under the leadership of MS Dhoni. On Friday, it defeated former champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2021 final at the Dubai International Stadium.

However, the build-up to the next edition would start soon, especially with the mega auction coming up, tentatively slated for January next year. As of now, it is unclear regarding the retention policy for the franchises.

Meanwhile, it seems like CSK has already decided who would be its first retention for the upcoming season. According to a CSK official, it would undoubtedly be its undisputed legendary skipper MS Dhoni.

Speaking to ANI, the official stated that there would be retentions for sure, while the clarity on the numbers would come soon. However, he assured that the first card would be used for Dhoni, as the ship cannot sail without its captain.

Earlier, Dhoni had commented on the same after winning the title on Friday, as he had said, "Again, I've said it before; it depends on BCCI. With two new teams coming in, we have to decide what is good for CSK. It's not about me being there in top-three or four. It's about making a strong core to ensure the franchise doesn't suffer. The core group, we have to have a hard look to see who can contribute for the next ten years."

"I would love to thank the fans, wherever we've played, even when we were in South Africa, we've always had a good number of CSK fans. That is what you crave. Thanks to all of them, it feels like we're playing in Chennai. Hopefully, we'll be back in Chennai for the fans," he had concluded.

Earlier, Dhoni had assured that he would be donning the yellow jersey in the following edition, making fans happy. However, he also confused them as he stated that he was unsure if he would be playing or working with the management.