Chennai Super Kings (CSK) retained several key players, including captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (INR 18 crore), Matheesha Pathirana (INR 13 crore), Shivam Dube (INR 12 crore), and Ravindra Jadeja (INR 18 crore). Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar suggested that Dhoni should lead CSK again in IPL 2025, asserting his captaincy brings excitement, even without batting.