CSK’s Akeal Hosein in action during the IPL match against DC on May 5, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

CSK’s Anshul Kamboj bowling against DC during the TATA IPL 2026 cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk in Chennai on Saturday, April 11, 2026.
| Photo Credit: B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad at a training session at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday, April 17, 2026.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Dewald Brevis
| Photo Credit: R. RAGU

RCB’s fans , during the IPL 2026 match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super King (CSK), played at M Chinnaswamy Stadium (KSCA), in Bengaluru on Sunday, April 5, 2026.
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

CSKCL Managing Director Kasi Viswanathan alias K.S. Viswanathan said the cricketing company had been using songs, dialogues, and music from those movies in its promos for quite a few years but Sun TV Network did not raise any objection till March 1, 2026. File.
| Photo Credit: R. Ragu

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is retained, but Rishabh Pant is not. Andre Russell is retained, but Shreyas Iyer is not. Rajat Patidar is retained, K.L. Rahul is not.

The suspense over player retention ahead of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL’s) player retentions ahead of next month’s big player auction was over on Thursday (October 31, 2024) evening with the official list of retentions having been announced.

In all, 46 players were retained by their respective franchises from a maximum of 60 slots available. It means that the player auction will see a maximum of 204 spots up for grab next month.

As expected – and reported by The Hindu earlier – Pant, Shreyas Iyer and K.L. Rahul were released by their respective franchises. While Heinrich Klaasen has emerged as the most expensive retention at ₹23 crore for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Virat Kohli is the most expensive Indian to be retained at ₹21 crore by Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Mumbai Indians, as reported earlier, have kept the awesome foursome –Jasprit Bumrah, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav – on its roster along with promising Tilak Varma.

Chennai Super Kings have decided to persist with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana, Dhoni and Shivam Dube. Dhoni — the veteran — and Sandeep Sharma (Rajasthan Royals) have been retained as uncapped players, thanks to a modification in uncapped player regulations.

Complete list of Retained players teamwise

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (₹18 cr.), Abhishek Sharma (₹14 cr.), Nitish Kumar Reddy (₹6 cr.), Heinrich Klaasen (₹23 cr.), Travis Head (₹14 cr.).

Available purse: ₹45 cr.

Mumbai Indians: Jasprit Bumrah (₹18 cr.), Suryakumar Yadav (₹16.35 cr.), Hardik Pandya (₹16.35 cr.), Rohit Sharma (₹16.30 cr.), Tilak Varma (₹8 cr.).

Available purse: ₹45 cr.

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (₹18 cr.), Matheesha Pathirana (₹13 cr.), Shivam Dube (₹12 cr.), Ravindra Jadeja (₹18 cr.), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (₹4 cr.).

Available purse: ₹55 cr.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Rinku Singh (₹13 cr.), Varun Chakravarthy (₹12 cr.), Sunil Narine (₹12 cr.), Andre Russell (₹12 cr.), Harshit Rana (₹4 cr.), Ramandeep Singh (₹4 cr.).

Available purse: ₹51 cr.

Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson (₹18 cr.), Yashasvi Jaiswal (₹18 cr.), Riyan Parag (₹14 cr.), Dhruv Jurel (₹14 cr.), Shimron Hetmyer (₹11 cr.), Sandeep Sharma (₹4 cr.).

Available purse: ₹41 cr.

Lucknow Super Giants: Nicholas Pooran (₹21 cr.), Ravi Bishnoi (₹11 cr.), Mayank Yadav (₹11 cr.), Mohsin Khan (₹4 cr.), Ayush Badoni (₹4 cr.).

Available purse: ₹69 cr.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli (₹21 cr.), Rajat Patidar (₹11 cr.), Yash Dayal (₹5 cr.).

Available purse: ₹83 cr.

Gujarat Titans: Rashid Khan (₹18 cr.), Shubman Gill (₹16.50 cr.), B. Sai Sudharsan (₹8.50 cr.), Rahul Tewatia (₹4 cr.), Shahrukh Khan (₹4 cr.).

Available purse: ₹69 cr.

Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel (₹16.50 cr.), Kuldeep Yadav (₹13.25 cr.), Tristan Stubbs (₹10 cr.), Abhishek Porel (₹4 cr.).

Available purse: ₹73 cr.

Punjab Kings: Shashank Singh (₹5.50 cr.), Prabhsimran Singh (₹4 cr.).

Available purse: ₹110.5 cr.

If there was an award for ‘Most Animated Coach of the Year’, Ashish Nehra would definitely be in the running.

For, much like football’s Pep Guardiola of Manchester City, Nehra, currently the coach of Gujarat Titans, patrols the boundaries during IPL matches, constantly chatting and interacting with his players on cricket strategies.

It is a coaching style that is not too familiar to Indian cricket fans, but this is Nehra’s style. “That’s the way I am,” he says candidly over a virtual conversation, “If I am not operating the way I feel like, I should be in the movies. Because there are retakes there, but not in sport. As a coach, one should do whatever is best for the team.”

Nehra knows that, as does his Delhi teammate and friend, Gautam Gambhir, who was recently appointed as the coach of the Indian team. Gambhir, known as an aggressive coach, is currently on his first official assignment in Sri Lanka and Nehra wishes him well. “GG is very passionate, hardworking and never minces his words. With him, there will be transparency. Indian cricket has shown positive results in the last few years and under Gautam, that will only improve,” says Nehra, who is part of the commentary team in the ongoing India-Sri Lanka series.

‘CSK is special’

Ashish Nehra, a left-arm pacer with a gift to swing and seam the cricket ball, tasted success as an Indian fast bowler in the early 2000s. Later, once the IPL gained popularity, Nehra also had a memorable stint with the Chennai Super Kings, a phase he looks back with fondness. “It was a great franchise but they were also lucky that MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming stuck together for a long time. CSK is a special franchise even for youngsters, who learn a lot. Going forward, I don’t think we will see the same coach and captain for many years in a franchise.”

MS Dhoni, who has been associated with the Chennai franchise since its inception, is younger than Nehra, but that has not stopped the pacer from learning from him. “For me, the most important thing about MS (Dhoni) is that he has remained the same. No one wants to lose, but he has been the same with people, irrespective of results.”

At his prime, Nehra’s deliveries were considered hard to face but he himself had to face quite a bit of hardship; Nehra was injury-prone and had to reportedly undergo almost ten surgeries during his playing days. Prod him about that and he says, “Well, no one wants to get injured but yes, they happened to me. Experience teaches you how to handle these things. It also required a lot of mental strength to overcome those phases. I tell youngsters to take care of themselves, especially if they want to play the longer format of the game. For batting, wicketkeeping or spin bowling, fitness is key, but it becomes the all-important factor for a fast bowler. 80 percent of pace bowling is about how you handle your body. Whoever is fitter will play longer.”

India-Sri Lanka matches are streaming on the Sony Sports Network

Ambati Rayudu interview: On IPL 2024, his stint at CSK and dabbling in politics

A lot can change in a year; Ambati Rayudu knows that.

Last May, he was jumping with joy at the Chennai Super Kings’ dugout in Ahmedabad, having contributed to one of IPL’s most memorable finals that the men in yellow won off the last ball. Late into the night, MS Dhoni would receive the trophy and hand it over to a beaming Rayudu in his last IPL match as a cricket player.

This May, Rayudu — now a commentator with Star Sports and talking about the game with as much passion as he once played it — was desolate, as he saw his former team get knocked out of TATA IPL 2024 on a rainy Saturday evening in Bangalore. In a video that is now going viral among cricket fans, Rayudu sits, his face buried in his hands, in disbelief.

Rayudu was showing his emotions, like he has always done. “Yes, I am an emotional being,” he tells me over a virtual conversation, a day before the CSK-RCB match, “I’ve always wanted things to be fair, and always fought for what I believe is right.”

Currently, the six-time IPL champion is busy with a hectic commentary stint. It is not something he would have fancied when he was a player, but Rayudu is enjoying it nevertheless. “I didn’t know if I would be good at it, because I hardly spoke during my playing days. But, with friends and family, I used to love discussing cricket. I pride myself as being a good student of the game and trying to understand its various intricacies. Broadcasting and commentating are new to me and I’m slowly trying to understand how things work, though many a time, I speak from the heart. I’m just happy I am still connected to the sport.”

Batting for CSK

IPL 2024 might have ended on a sour note for CSK, but Dhoni and Jadeja — the two men who were at the crease during the last moments of the recent Bangalore game — have been Chennai’s favourite IPL stars for many years now. Recalling the moments leading up to the famous CSK win of 2023, Rayudu says, “Remember Dhoni lifting Jadeja after he won us the game? We all know what CSK means to Dhoni, but it proved what it meant to Jadeja, who has been the team’s go-to man, be it batting, bowling or fielding.”

Rayudu was a star with Mumbai Indians in the earlier editions of IPL but has been vocal about his support for Chennai Super Kings, with which he had a successful stint. So, what is the amazing team environment that everyone raves about? “CSK is family. They let you be. At CSK, you are treated just the way you are treated at home; I’m not saying there is no pressure to win, but it’s the way you are treated at home, with parents or siblings. Every player feels like he belongs. The management and the support staff never speaks negatively and never puts you down. Even players who are not playing are constantly looked after; when that happens, you want to give your best. Say, if a player’s capacity is to score a 50 off 20 balls, due to this environment, you would like to do it in 18. This is why many players, who might not have played so well for other franchises, bloom here.” What also helps is the loyalty factor among players; someone like an MS Dhoni has been with the team since its inception. “Even after his retirement, I’m sure he will be associated with the team in a major capacity.”

Rayudu has been associated with Indian cricket for a long time — playing for India was the most memorable moment of his career — but he feels that the IPL, conceptualised in 2008, has brought the game closer to fans. “They understand T-20 cricket better, and they identify more with the players. The league is also a game-changer in terms of identifying talent. Previously, even if you were a talented player, you could get lost in the system if you are not identified by a certain set of selectors. But the IPL has been a great platform and throws the spotlight on players; a cricketer like Ashutosh Sharma (Punjab Kings) might not have been identified if he played only for the Railways. That’s the beauty of the IPL.”

The cricketer also dabbled in politics for a while, and this election season, he actively supported popular actor and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan. He hopes to play an active role in public life in the future. “I believe sport can be a unifying factor in bringing people together,” says Rayudu, who also runs a foundation in Guntur that helps people from disadvantaged sections of society,“I believe equal opportunities should be available; I have suffered in the past due to a lot of factors. I hope that a player, even without any godfather, should be able to play the sport just based on his or her talent. I’m looking forward to playing an important role in developing Andhra Pradesh as a better place to live in.”

Watch TATA IPL playoffs and final this week on the Star Sports Network

MS Dhoni of Chennai Super Kings hooks Moshin Khan of Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL match at Ekana stadium in Lucknow on Friday .
| Photo Credit: SANDEEP SAXENA

His brilliant form notwithstanding, Mahendra Singh Dhoni cannot be promoted in the batting order as his recovery from a knee injury has restricted his ability to wield the willow for long periods, Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming has said.

Called CSK’s “heartbeat” by Fleming, Dhoni, 42, gave his team the much-needed impetus with a nine-ball 28 against Lucknow Super Giants here on Friday, one of the few entertaining cameos he has played this season.

The few balls that Dhoni is getting to face in this IPL season, Fleming said he is simply “owning that space”.

Hailing Dhoni, Fleming said, “It’s inspirational, isn’t it? His batting this year even in training has been very crisp. The team isn’t surprised with what he is doing because his skill level during the pre-season was very high.”

“Other years he has obviously had problems with his knee and he is sort of recovering from that which is why there is only a certain amount of balls he can function well.”

Further opening up on Dhoni’s role, Fleming pointed out his ‘two-three over’ approach.

“I think everyone wants to see him for longer as we do but that amount of time is about right. We need him for the tournament and that 2-3 over cameo he is owning that space.

“It’s up to the rest of the batting unit to get us to a good position where he can push us over the top. He is doing that pretty much every time at the moment which is great to watch,” Fleming said at the post-match press conference.

The long-time CSK coach said former skipper Dhoni, who guided the team to five IPL titles, remains the franchise’s heartbeat and that they are “enjoying every minute” of his presence as the fans shower him with love and adulation across venues.

“What an amazing atmosphere when he comes out and does play and entertain, it’s exhilarating,” Fleming observed.

“We are incredibly proud of what he has achieved. We marvel at the amount of love that he gets. It’s no surprise with what he has done with Indian cricket and with CSK with us. We are incredibly proud that he is a part of our side and is pretty much the heartbeat of the side. We thoroughly enjoy it.

“We know we are beneficiaries of the career that he has had and is having. We enjoy every minute of it.”

This IPL has seen the bat almost completely dominating the ball, but Fleming said the trend might change in the second half of the tournament with a rise in temperature.

“The sample is still relatively small. We are only getting to halfway through the tournament, what I would expect to see is with the hot conditions and the wickets being used, the scoring should slow a little bit.

“Today (Friday) was a good contest between bat and ball, it was a good even contest,” he said.

“I think people enjoy seeing a lot of fours and sixes but there is also that warning that is becoming a bit one-sided, I agree with that and that’s why I enjoy a tussle like that where there is a little bit in it for both.”

Asked to bat first, Ravindra Jadeja came up with a solid unbeaten 57 before Moeen Ali (30 off 20) and Dhoni (28 off 9) went on a six-hitting spree to take CSK to a fighting 176 for six.

In reply, skipper KL Rahul (82) and Quinton de Kock (54) batted with authority during their match-winning alliance of 134, the highest partnership for any wicket at the Ekana Stadium, as LSG scored 180 for 2 in 19 overs to recover from back-to-back loss and consolidate their position in the table.

Fleming credited LSG openers for their big partnership.

“It was a tough game. We certainly struggled to get any momentum throughout the game. To win that match, we would have had to do something similar to what they did which is to take wickets throughout but the opening stand was a match winning one,” he said.

“And we couldn’t create the pressure because they are used to the pace of the pitch and if we got wickets throughout we could have put pressure on their order here,’ Fleming concluded.