IPL panel confirmed franchise can retain a maximum five players by virtue of a combination of player retention and right-to-match cards.

The salary cap for each team has been increased from Rs 66 crore to Rs 80 crore for the 2018 season. The franchise would be allowed to spend Rs 33 crore on retentions prior to the 2018 auctions, and in terms of returning franchise Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, the two team can retain or exercise RTM option from a pool of players who were part of Rising Super Giant and Gujarat Lions.

Meaning the much-awaited return of MS ‘Thala’ Dhoni can finally happen. Even CSK officials confirmed that Dhoni will be back as captain. 

Reactions of CSK Fans When They Came To Know That Thala @msdhoni Is Coming Back In #ChennaiSuperKings in #IPL2018 ????????#Dhoni pic.twitter.com/mAEjmxNsjP

— Randheer Thakur (@India_Se_Hu) December 6, 2017

“That’s an obvious one. We will have him (Dhoni) back as captain. We don’t know when we have to submit it (the list of retained players). Once the deadline is set, we will finalise the list. For Dhoni, it would be like returning home, 100 percent. That’s what he also said during the TNPL,” CSK director George John told The Indian Express.

The new retention policy as follows, if the team retain three players, then the first player would cost Rs 15 crore, second Rs 11 crore and the third Rs 7 crore.  In case of two retentions, the first player would be valued at Rs 12.5 crore and the second Rs 8.5 crore. Retaining just one player pre-auction would see a franchise lose Rs 12.5 crore from its purse.