Ganesh Kendale
NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday announced new retention rules for the IPL 2025 season, which included a notable change for uncapped players.
The rule change has sparked debate over Dhoni’s future in the IPL, as many fans speculate if the 2024 season was truly his last.
Amid the chatter around the uncapped player rule, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s recent comments about Dhoni have now gone viral.
At the recent IIFA award ceremony, Shah Rukh was asked about retirement by his longtime friend and filmmaker, Karan Johar, leading to a hilarious exchange.
During the event, Karan teased Shah Rukh when the latter said, “Legends know when to retire.” He also cited the examples like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Chhetri, and Roger Federer.
Replying to that, Karan quipped, “So, by that standard, why don’t you retire?”
In classic SRK fashion, he responded with quick wit, “Actually mai doosre kisam ka legendary hoon. Mai aur Dhoni ek kisam ke legends hai. Na na kar ke bhi 10 aur IPL seasons khel jaate hai (Actually, I’m a different kind of legend. Dhoni and I belong to the same league. Even when we say no, we end up playing 10 more IPL seasons).”
The audience erupted with laughter at Shah Rukh’s playful jibe.
Vicky Kaushal, taking advantage of the situation, tried to add some more humour to the context by saying, “Retirement is for legends. Kings are forever.”
Fans, already abuzz about the new retention rules, loved the camaraderie between SRK and Dhoni, further fueling the discussion about the CSK captain’s future.
According to the revised regulations, any Indian player who has not played an international match in the last five years will be considered ‘uncapped’.
This means that legendary Dhoni, who last played for India in 2019, now qualifies as an uncapped player for the upcoming IPL season.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Dhoni’s long-time team, can retain the iconic wicketkeeper-batter for a much-reduced price of Rs 4 crore.
