3 players CSK must retain ahead of IPL 2025 ft. Matheesha Pathirana

The 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction is on the horizon, with the BCCI having already announced the retention rules. Each franchise will be allowed to retain up to six players, and one of those names must be uncapped.

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who failed to qualify for the playoffs in IPL 2024, will be keen on maintaining their core. The Men in Yellow had a mixed auction cycle, including a win in the 2023 edition of the league, but are known to be keen on continuity and sustained faith in their players.

So who must the Super Kings keep a hold of ahead of the auction? There are many contenders, but Chennai can't afford to let a few names go, given their skill sets and price tags.

On that note, here are three players CSK must retain ahead of IPL 2025.

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#3 Matheesha Pathirana

Matheesha Pathirana is arguably the second-best T20 pacer in the world right now. The Sri Lankan is a force to be reckoned with at the death, and although injuries blighted his 2024 campaign, he cannot be let go of by CSK.

Ruturaj Gaikwad often cited Pathirana's absence as a contributing factor behind the Super Kings' inconsistency in IPL 2024, and he wasn't wrong. The slingy speedster is one of their greatest assets, and given his age and obvious potential, he needs to be wrapped up in cotton wool and carefully handled in the long run.

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#2 Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ahead of IPL 2024, MS Dhoni decided to hand over the reins of the franchise to Ruturaj Gaikwad. The new skipper had a mixed season in both departments, with his strike rate at the start of his innings coming into question despite a decent overall run haul in the tournament. His leadership, meanwhile, didn't set the league on fire.

Nevertheless, Gaikwad is a player CSK can't afford to risk losing by sending him into the auction, even if the retention slab doesn't accurately reflect his value to the side. The 27-year-old is adored in Chennai and has what it takes to be the face of the franchise following Dhoni's inevitable retirement sometime in the near future.

As a good hitter of both spin and hard lengths, Gaikwad possesses a unique skillset among Indian batters. He is a focal point of CSK's future, and retaining him has become a necessity for more reasons than one.

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#1 MS Dhoni

Whether the BCCI's tweaking of the auction rules was justified or not is up for debate, but MS Dhoni can play for CSK as an "uncapped" player in IPL 2025. And that means that the five-time IPL champions can sign him for just ₹4 crore ahead of the auction.

At that price, with the impact player rule still in place, Dhoni is simply too big an asset to lose. The former Indian skipper has dealt with a couple of injuries over the last two seasons that have seriously hampered his mobility, but he is still tidy behind the stumps and an excellent hitter of pace at the death.

Finishers are hard to come by, especially ones with vast experience and leadership skills. Dhoni needs to be present for CSK's ongoing period of transitions, and the fans in Chennai won't mind one bit that he is prolonging the last legs of his career.

There has been no official word on the matter, but signs indicate that MSD will decide to play on for another IPL campaign. And if that's the case, retaining him will be a no-brainer for the Super Kings.