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CSK representatives at the IPL mega auction in Jeddah (Photo: IPL)
Any Hollywood display at the IPL mega auction from Chennai Super Kings was never going to happen. They were always going to stick to their tried-and-tested formula that has given them five IPL titles. The most successful franchise, along with Mumbai Indians, in the league had retained their core, spending Rs 65 crore. They went to the auction with a purse of Rs 55 crore, aiming to build the team around the retained players. There was no scrambling. CSK calmly went about their business.
Hits: The primary target for the Chennai-based franchise was to bring back the players they couldn’t retain. They bought back Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra for Rs 6.25 crore and Rs 4 crore respectively. CSK had a fallow tournament in 2024 and one of the reasons was Conway’s absence at the top due to a thumb injury. Rachin is exactly the cricketer CSK look for – firepower at the top and a few overs of spin bowling. And there’s a bond between the player and his IPL franchise. Even before the Test series in India, the Kiwi all-rounder trained at the CSK academy. No wonder that the RTM was used.
CSK going for Ravichandran Ashwin was expected as well. Once the veteran off-spinner was in the market, Chennai probably was going to be his only destination. It’s a homecoming for Ashwin, 10 seasons after he left the franchise. CSK forked out Rs 9.75 crore for him because they were determined to get him. Ashwin is 38 years of age but that was never going to be an issue. Skill-set and experience are taken a lot more seriously in this team.
“He (Ashwin) is obviously towards the latter part of his career. But the experience he brings – he is handy with the bat, and we think we can use him in a number of ways,” CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said at the press conference.
Ashwin will unite with Ravindra Jadeja, and with left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad also in their ranks for Rs 10 crore, CSK arguably have the most potent spin attack in the tournament. They have the required wherewithal to effect the famous spin-choke at Chepauk, with MS Dhoni behind the stumps.
CSK also bought enough all-rounders and fast bowlers. Jamie Overton for Rs 1.5 crore and Nathan Ellis for Rs 2 crore were the two smart buys. Overton bowls fast, and he can hit the ball hard. Ellis is a perfect back-up for Matheesha Pathirana.
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MS Dhoni in action in IPL 2024 (PC: IPL/X)
Misses: Not getting Deepak Chahar was a miss. The seamer perfectly fits into CSK’s template and as there was a bidding war for the player, the franchise raised the paddle for Rs 8 crore. But Mumbai Indian snapped up Chahar for Rs 9.25 crore. CSK missed out on a Powerplay specialist.
CSK also bought some players like Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Gopal and Kamlesh Nagarkoti whose IPL careers seem to have hit a roadblock. The franchise would hope for a turnaround.
Overall rating: 7.5/10.
CSK Squad
Batsmen: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Shaik Rasheed, Deepak Hooda, Andre Siddarth.
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sam Curran, Rachin Ravindra, Vijay Shankar, Anshul Kamboj, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh.
Wicketkeepers: MS Dhoni, Devon Conway, Vansh Bedi.
Spinners: Noor Ahmad, Shreyas Gopal.
Fast bowlers: Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis.
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[[{“value”:”Any Hollywood display at the IPL mega auction from Chennai Super Kings was never going to happen. They were always going to stick to their tried-and-tested formula that has given…
The post Ashwin’s homecoming and Noor’s acquisition give CSK formidable spin-punch appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports.”}]]
