Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has voiced strong disapproval over the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) decision to tweak the uncapped player retention rule ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction — a move that allowed MS Dhoni to be retained by Chennai Super Kings for ₹4 crore.
Historically, players who had not played international cricket for at least five years were eligible to be considered uncapped and could enter the auction accordingly. While this rule was scrapped in 2021, it was surprisingly reinstated before the 2025 auction, paving the way for Dhoni’s classification as an uncapped player due to his international retirement in 2020.
Gavaskar, writing in his column for Sportstar, criticized the move, suggesting it was designed to specifically benefit CSK and accommodate Dhoni, potentially at the cost of Indian cricket’s integrity.
“To accommodate Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who became an uncapped player before the auction last year, the limit was raised to ₹4 crore,” Gavaskar pointed out, highlighting his concerns about fairness and consistency in the rules.
He expressed concern over the broader impact such rules could have on player motivation and performance, particularly when uncapped players are offered huge sums early in their careers. Gavaskar cited Rasikh Salam, who was the most expensive uncapped player this season at ₹6 crore but featured in only two matches for RCB.
“A whole lot of the players bought for huge amounts simply fade away as their hunger and drive are satiated… Indian cricket takes a bit of a beating at the loss of any player, whether he has been successful or not,” Gavaskar wrote.
Gavaskar believes that such inflated contracts can place enormous pressure on young cricketers, hampering their long-term growth. He proposed a reduction in the uncapped retention cap and urged the BCCI to abolish the preferential treatment.
He further explained that many uncapped players struggle to perform immediately and only flourish when their price tag — and the accompanying expectations — are lowered in subsequent seasons.
In Dhoni’s unique case, he wasn’t just retained as an uncapped player, but later stepped in as CSK captain mid-season when Ruturaj Gaikwad sustained an elbow injury and was ruled out of the competition. Gavaskar, while not naming Dhoni directly in a critical tone, made it clear that making exceptions for legendary players can set a dangerous precedent.
As this controversial decision continues to stir debate, it brings up an important question for IPL’s future: should rules be universally applied, or is there room for exceptions — even for icons like MS Dhoni?
