MS Dhoni's Dictatorship Called Out By Sunil Gavaskar

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has called for a change in the uncapped players rule in the IPL 2025 season. The legendary cricketer stated that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) raised the limit to accommodate MS Dhoni, who became an uncapped player before the 2025 mega auction.

Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, the BCCI classified players as uncapped if they had not played an international match or held a BCCI contract for the last five years. This rule allowed CSK to retain MS Dhoni for just ₹4 crore. Dhoni last played for Team India during the ODI World Cup 2019.

To accommodate MS Dhoni, the Limit Was Raised to ₹4 Crore - Sunil Gavaskar

In his column for Sportstar, Sunil Gavaskar pointed out that the BCCI benefited CSK by raising the limit for uncapped players to ₹4 crore to accommodate MS Dhoni.

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"A whole lot of the players bought for huge amounts simply fade away as their hunger and drive are satiated," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.

"To the franchises, it perhaps doesn't matter as they may feel it's good riddance, but Indian cricket takes a bit of a beating at the loss of any player, whether he has been successful or not. To accommodate Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who became an uncapped player before the auction last year, the limit was raised to Rs 4 crore," he added.

Most Players Who Suddenly Become Crorepatis Are Overwhelmed - Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar raised concerns about the impact of high prices on young, uncapped players in the IPL. He said that players who suddenly become wealthy often struggle, adding that many of them are unprepared for the sudden fame.

"Most of the guys who suddenly become crorepatis are overwhelmed, firstly by their sudden good fortune and then by the nervousness of getting to rub shoulders with those they have admired and perhaps never even dreamt of meeting. They are often not even part of their State's squad of top 30 players," Gavaskar further wrote.

12 Uncapped Players Retained by Franchises Ahead of IPL 2025 Mega Auction

It's worth mentioning that the Rs 4 crore limit for retaining uncapped players was introduced in the IPL 2022 mega auction, long before MS Dhoni became eligible for this status.

Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, 12 uncapped players were retained by various franchises. The highest retention price for an uncapped player in IPL 2025 was for 33-year-old batter Shashank Singh, who plays for Punjab Kings (PBKS).

Two notable names—MS Dhoni and pacer Sandeep Sharma—benefited from a rule that allows players who have been out of international cricket for five or more years to be classified as uncapped.

Other notable uncapped players included Sandeep Sharma, who last played for India in July 2015, and Mohit Sharma, whose last appearance was in October 2015.

Also read: AB de Villiers fires choking bullets at Sanjay Manjrekar after Virat Kohli's CSK demolition