IPL 2025: Ajay Jadeja reckons Dhoni, Gaikwad, Jadeja to be CSK’s no-brainer retentions

Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja reckons MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja will be the three no-brainer retentions for the Chennai Super Kings ahead of 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 ahead of the mega auction.

"MS Dhoni for sure. There's no doubt about that, especially because he's now an uncapped player. He's done a lot for the team and has no desire to be treated as the No. 1 player on the squad. His value is unquestioned.

"Ruturaj Gaikwad is the captain, and he's had a good year, so you'll hope to retain him as well. Ravindra Jadeja can't be left out either, so these three, I think, are perfect for them," said Jadeja on JioCinema.

Ex-India batter Aakash Chopra thinks the Right to Match card (RTM) will be of advantage to CSK, the five-time IPL champions. "I don't think they'll retain five players. They might go for 3-4. I see two players worth 18 CR in Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja. If you want to keep them, you have to match that price. Other than that, they have MS Dhoni, Shivam Dube, and Matheesha Pathirana.

"I think they'll keep Dube and use the RTM card for Deepak Chahar, maybe, depending on his fitness. The price for these players is really high, so the RTM card could be useful to get players for cheaper. If Dube is sold in the auction, he might fetch over 10 or 11 crores."

Delving on the potential auction strategy for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Chopra thinks the franchise might let go of their current skipper Faf du Plessis. "I don't think they'll be able to retain their captain. It's not about his ability; it's about his age. When you're talking about a mega auction, it's for the next three seasons.

"You have to question if Faf will be a part of this franchise for three more years, and I personally don't think that's likely. He's a very active cricketer, but he's not excelling in the CPL right now. All good stories come to an end."

On the other hand, Jadeja thinks RCB will be judicious with their IPL 2025 retentions. "We don't even need to discuss Virat Kohli; it's the same as Dhoni. I favour Rajat Patidar, whether it's his style or his role in RCB's revival. He's the future. In the 4 CR range, you have Anuj Rawat, who has played well alongside Patidar.

"Wicketkeeper-batsmen are rare commodities, especially of high quality. In terms of overseas players, I think they like changing players and styles every year. I think they're going to retain a total of two or three players.

"I believe retaining Mohammed Siraj and Yash Dayal will be an emotional decision. If the backend remains the same, then there is a chance that Dayal gets picked before Siraj. If not, then the new personnel in charge will look at starting from scratch. So, due to the RTM, I think not as many players will get retained," he concluded.