Rishabh Pant: Maintaining an established strategy which has helped club win five titles over the years, Chennai Super Kings, also known as CSK, revealed its IPL 2025 retention list on Thursday. The squad has retained key players like Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, & all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, yet they have also kept MS Dhoni, who is now considered an uncapped athlete under the fresh IPL rules.
By doing this, CSK is able to balance their budget and invest in new players to create a strong roster for the future while still preserving a percentage of their auction revenue as they draw closer to the next big auction.
Suresh Raina said that Rishabh Pant and MS Dhoni had a “meeting”:
While there was a lot of uncertainty over Dhoni’s fate with CSK, this retention suggests he will stay with the team. But at 43, Dhoni’s career has come to its end, therefore CSK is preparing for a smooth transition. Prior to the an auction, rumors circulated suggesting the team would be seeking to replace Dhoni with Rishabh Pant, a strong wicketkeeper-batsman and an experienced leader.
The Delhi Capitals finally released Pant on Thursday, which fueled the rumors even more. Despite rumors that Pant had a falling out with the team’s management, the Capitals chose to keep Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav as part of their Team India roster.
The prospect of Pant wearing the yellow jersey intensified after former CSK player Suresh Raina made a suggestion about it on JioCinema. Pant was present in Delhi when I met MS Dhoni. A yellow jersey will shortly be worn by someone.
Is it feasible to pants to CSK?
With his mobility and experience, Pant might be a huge asset to CSK’s team going forward. Pant, who is known for his aggressive style, might lead the next generation of players and fit in nicely with CSK’s tactical structure.
Pant is anticipated to fetch significant offers at the auction, so getting him won’t be cheap. With an RTM card and a purse of INR 55 crore, CSK will have fierce competition to hire Pant. It would be a big step towards safeguarding CSK’s future if Dhoni could convince Pant to join the team.