IPL 2025: Ajay Jadeja considers Dhoni, Gaekwad, Jadeja as CSK’s no-brainer retentions

New Delhi: Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja has reckoned that MS Dhoni, Rutheraj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja would be three no-brainer retentions for Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.

The ten IPL franchises can retain up to six players from their IPL 2024 squad, including a maximum of five capped players (Indian & Overseas) and a maximum of two uncapped players before the mega auction.

“Definitely MS Dhoni. There’s no doubt about that, especially since he’s an uncapped player now. He has done a lot for the team and has no desire to be considered the number 1 player in the team. His worth is unquestionable.

“Ruthuraj Gaikwad is the captain, and he’s had a good year, so you hope to keep him as well. Ravindra Jadeja can’t be left out either, so I think the trio will suit them perfectly,” Jadeja said on JioCinema.

Former India batsman Akash Chopra feels that the Right to Match card (RTM) will be beneficial for five-time IPL champions CSK. “I don’t think they will retain five players. They may go for 3-4. I see two players worth 18cr in Ruthuraj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja. If you want to keep them, you have to match that price. Apart from that, they have MS Dhoni, Shivam Dubey and Matisha Pathirana. .

“I think they will keep Dub and use the RTM card for Deepak Chahar, probably depending on his fitness. The price of these players is really high, so the RTM card is useful to get the players at a cheaper price. If Dubey is sold in the auction, he could fetch more than 10 or 11 crores.

Looking at the potential bidding strategy for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Chopra feels that the franchise may drop their current captain Faf du Plessis. “I don’t think they can keep their captain. It’s not about his ability; That’s about his age. When you talk about mega auction, it is for the next three seasons.

“You have to question whether Faf is going to be a part of this franchise for another three years and I personally don’t think so. He is a very active cricketer but he is not doing well in CPL right now. All good stories come to an end. “

On the other hand, Jadeja feels that RCB will be fair with their IPL 2025 retention. “We don’t need to discuss Virat Kohli; It is like Dhoni. I love Rajat Patidar, be it his style or his role in RCB’s revival. He is the future. In the 4 CR range, you have Patidar and Anuj Rawat who has played well.

“Wicket-keeper-batsmen are rare commodities, especially of high quality. As for overseas players, I think they like to change players and styles every year. I think they are going to keep two or three players in total.

“I believe it was an emotional decision to retain Mohammad Siraj and Yash Dayal. If the backend remains like this, Dayal is likely to be picked ahead of Siraj. If not, the new staff will look to start from scratch. So, because of RTM, I think not many players will be retained,” he concluded.