The mini-auction for IPL 2024 is set to take place on December 19. Ahead of this, AB de Villiers expressed his delight upon seeing MS Dhoni’s name in the retention list for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). De Villiers mentioned that during IPL 2023, fans speculated it might be Dhoni’s final season, but the captain surprised everyone. De Villiers stated that predicting Dhoni’s next move is never easy.
Regarding Dhoni’s availability, De Villiers shared on his YouTube channel, “I am quite happy to see his name in the retention list. There were many discussions last season about whether it would be his last season. He is gearing up for another IPL season in 2024. It’s always surprising with him. Maybe he’ll play three more seasons, who knows! But it feels good to see his name among the retained players for CSK.”
Despite knee troubles, MS Dhoni played all matches for CSK in 2023. Under his captaincy, Chennai defeated Gujarat Titans in the final, securing their fifth IPL title. After the tournament, Dhoni underwent successful knee surgery, and he is set to lead the team in the upcoming season.
AB de Villiers is hopeful that CSK will aim to acquire explosive batsman Shahrukh Khan in the IPL 2024 auction. The South African veteran believes that the release of players before the auction has often acted as a springboard for their careers with CSK. De Villiers expressed confidence that some teams would be eager to buy Shahrukh Khan.
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Punjab Kings released Tamil Nadu batsman Shahrukh Khan ahead of the IPL 2024 mini-auction. De Villiers praised Shahrukh’s ability to hit the ball a long way and highlighted CSK’s unique approach to selecting players released by other teams. De Villiers stated, “He (Shahrukh Khan) is a strong player and has the ability to hit the ball a long way. This is where CSK is different. They are very good at picking released players. Players who are forgotten suddenly find themselves playing in a yellow jersey and making significant contributions, either with the bat or by taking wickets.”
Chennai released eight players from their squad before the auction, and with a remaining purse of ₹31.4 crores, they will participate in the IPL auction.