There were little surprises when Chennai Super Kings (CSK) announced their list of retentions on Tuesday ahead of the Indian Premier League’s mega-auction. Dhoni will continue to lead the side with star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and IPL 2021’s orange-cap winner Ruturaj Gaikwad set to stay. England’s Moeen Ali was also rewarded for his impressive performances in CSK’s title triumph and was their overseas pick. 

However, in one of the biggest talking points of the evening, Dhoni decided to take a pay cut. In a surprise move, Jadeja was the four-time champions’ number one retention while Dhoni was the second pick. This means Jadeja will earn ₹16 crores per season while Dhoni’s salary would be ₹12 crores. 

Former CSK player Robin Uthappa feels this is a decision made by Dhoni himself and believes Jadeja could be in line to become their next captain after Dhoni retires. Talking to Star Sports, he said, “I am sure that is MS Dhoni’s doing itself. He knows the value that Jadeja has to the unit. I think from what I understand, Jadeja might be someone who could end up leading the squad in the future as well when MS Dhoni retires. They have given him the due he deserved.”

Uthappa was part of CSK camp in IPL 2021 and ended up playing a crucial role in helping them win the trophy for the fourth time despite playing just four games. He scored a crucial half-century in the first qualifier against Delhi Capitals and followed it up with a quick-fire knock of 31 in just 15 balls in the final against Kolkata Knight Riders. 

After the culmination of IPL 2021, there was a lot of speculation on Dhoni’s future. With the franchise’s official announcement, CSK fans will breathe a sigh of relief as the four-time IPL winning captain will continue playing for them despite retiring from international cricket. A few days ago at a felicitation program to celebrate CSK’s title triumph, Dhoni made his ambition of playing his last T20 game in Chennai public.