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October 9, 2024
Legendary Australian captain and former Delhi Capitals head coach Ricky Ponting believes there is a strong chance the Delhi-based franchise will retain Australian batting sensation Jake Fraser-McGurk ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. According to Ponting, the 22-year-old right-handed top-order batter, who made his IPL debut in 2024, is an exciting talent known for his hard work and dedication to improving his game.
As Australia’s all-time leading run scorer in Tests and ODIs, Ponting has high expectations for Fraser-McGurk. Although he hasn’t seen much of the young player since the IPL, he predicts that Fraser-McGurk will quickly start earning substantial sums early in his career.
“In the IPL, how’s he (Fraser-McGurk) kind of dealt with all of that a little bit?” During the second England-Australia T20I on Friday, a commentator posed a question to Ricky Ponting while he was on air for Sony Sports. In response to the inquiry about his fellow countryman, Ponting, who captained Australia to two ODI World Cup titles, shared his insights and thoughts on the player. said, “It’s a good question because I haven’t actually seen much of him since the IPL. I love working with him and coaching him. He’s a great kid. He works really hard on his game, but things have happened so quickly. There’s an IPL auction coming up in probably November or December,” Ponting said.
“There’s every chance that the Delhi Capitals will offer him a retention. He’s going to make a lot of money really quickly early in his career. Still, he’s not the finished product yet and has to work it all out. I think he can eventually play Test cricket for Australia eventually,” he added.
Unlike his IPL career, Jake Fraser-McGurk had a rocky start to his T20I career. He recorded a two-ball duck in his debut match against Scotland a couple of weeks ago in Edinburgh. In his next two matches, he scored just 16 runs and then failed to score in the following game, which led to him being dropped from the playing XI for the series opener against England in Southampton—a match the Australians won by 28 runs on September 11.
However, with Mitchell Marsh absent for the second match, Fraser-McGurk was given another opportunity to play. This time, he made the most of it, scoring 50 runs off 31 balls while batting at No. 3, showcasing his potential and talent on the international stage.
Read More: BCCI to Delay Announcement on IPL 2025 Retention Policy Till End of September
As the eagerly awaited IPL mega auction approaches, discussions around the retention policy are intensifying, with reports suggesting some intriguing developments on the horizon. Franchise owners are anxiously anticipating the release of the new retention policy from the BCCI ahead of the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League. However, according to a report from Cricbuzz, the announcement may be delayed until the end of the month.
The upcoming mega auction presents an opportunity for franchises to completely revamp their squads in hopes of becoming long-term title contenders. For some teams, it may also provide a chance to retain their biggest stars. In a potential development that could delight fans of the Chennai Super Kings, Cricbuzz reports that the BCCI is considering a controversial move to classify retired international players as uncapped, which would further impact team dynamics in the auction.
So, why would this move benefit the Chennai Super Kings (CSK)? The answer is straightforward: it would make it significantly easier and more cost-effective for them to retain their star player, MS Dhoni. Under previous retention rules, an uncapped player could be retained for just ₹4 crores. In contrast, CSK paid a staggering ₹12 crores to retain Dhoni in 2022, highlighting the financial advantage of classifying him as uncapped.
Read More: Rahul Dravid Set to Return as Rajasthan Royals Head Coach for 2025 IPL Season
Ensuring Dhoni’s retention is crucial not just for CSK, but for the IPL as a whole, given his immense popularity and influence. CSK officials have indicated that if Dhoni chooses to play next season, he will be one of their retained players, even if the BCCI allows only two retentions. This underscores the significant impact Dhoni has on the team and its fan base. However, with the IPL 2025 player regulations and retention scheme still being finalized, Dhoni himself has stated that he will wait to see how the rules unfold before deciding whether to continue playing.
“There is a lot of time for it. We have to see what decision they take on player retention etc. Right now, the ball is not in our court. So, once the rules and regulations get formalised, I will take a call, but needs to be in the best interest of the team,” said Dhoni at a promotional event in Hyderabad earlier in August this year.
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