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MS Dhoni, known for keeping a low profile off the cricket field, delighted fans when pictures of him surfaced on Christmas Day, showing the Indian cricket legend celebrating the occasion with his family. The images, shared by Dhoni`s wife, Sakshi, quickly went viral across social media.
The couple celebrated the special day with their daughter, Ziva, and Dhoni dressed up as Santa Claus to add a festive touch to the celebration.
After months of speculation, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) confirmed Dhoni`s retention ahead of the 2025 IPL Mega Auction, ensuring that the 43-year-old will play another season in the league. Dhoni was retained as an `uncapped player` for a sum of Rs. 4 crore. Given that Dhoni has not played for India since 2019 and officially retired from international cricket in 2020, he qualifies as an uncapped player for the upcoming season.
Dhoni will become the oldest player in the 2025 IPL, and if he plays the entire 2025-27 cycle, he could break the record to become the oldest player in IPL history. Dhoni has been with CSK since the inaugural IPL season in 2008, leading them to five titles. He shares the record for most IPL titles as captain with Rohit Sharma. In addition to his time with CSK, Dhoni also played for Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016 and 2017.
Ahead of the 2024 IPL season, Dhoni stepped down from his captaincy role at CSK, passing the baton to Ruturaj Gaikwad. Although Dhoni had already played as a non-captain in eight matches during the 2022 season, the 2024 edition marked the first full season he did not lead the team. The 2025 IPL is scheduled to begin on March 14th.
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