Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) all-rounder Suresh Raina has busted the myth about Mahendra Singh Dhoni having the final say in auctions, but is hopeful the franchise make better planning next season with veteran skipper in the mix after a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign.
CSK currently occupy the foot of the points table with two wins in nine matches. While their chances of qualifying for the playoffs are slim, the team’s poor performance has ignited discussions about a potential significant restructuring of the franchise before the next season.
Adding to the uncertainty are questions surrounding the future of veteran captain MS Dhoni. However, CSK’s beloved “Chinna Thala,” Raina, believes that Dhoni is likely to continue playing for at least one more season.
“I hope that next season, they (CSK) come with better planning. And Dhoni is going to play for one more season, for sure,” Raina stated in a video on his YouTube channel, during a conversation with sports presenter Jatin Sapru.
Contrary to popular belief, Raina suggested that MS Dhoni might not have been heavily involved in the player acquisitions made by the CSK management for the 18th edition of the IPL.
“They always say MS Dhoni makes the final call. But to be very honest, I never attended any of the auctions. I was never a part of those discussions. I always talked about the players who were retained. MS might get a call about whether to go ahead with a player or not – but he’s not that involved,” Raina explained.
He further elaborated, “The core group handles the auction – you can imagine, Dhoni can’t have this type of auction. He would maybe name four or five players he wants, and out of them, a few would be retained.”
“Kashi sir – I think he has been handling the administration for almost 30 to 40 years now. And Rupa Ma’am is managing all the cricket administration – buying the players, maintaining the core group. But everyone knows that the players bought this time weren’t selected properly,” Suresh Raina had earlier said on Star Sports.