Chennai Super Kings won the IPL trophy once during the previous three-year cycle of the league. The last mega auction happened in 2022, and CSK won the trophy in 2023. However, in 2022 and 2024, the Super Kings did not even qualify for the playoffs.
The next mega auction will happen this year, and CSK will be tempted to retain their core. While MS Dhoni can be retained as an uncapped player and Ruturaj Gaikwad should continue as the captain, here are five players who CSK might be tempted to retain but they shouldn’t do so.
1. CSK should release Ravindra Jadeja before IPL Mega Auction
Ravindra Jadeja has retired from T20I cricket. CSK will have to spend 14 or 18 crore if they want to retain Jadeja for the next season. It would be better if CSK release him and then try to buy him back using the RTM card.
2. CSK should release Matheesha Pathirana before IPL Mega Auction
This one is a little dicey because Matheesha Pathirana is just getting started. CSK unearthed this gem, and he has even signed with JSK. However, one may assume that Pathirana would fetch less than 11 crore at the auction, which is the minimum sum that Chennai will have to pay to retain him.
3. Shivam Dube
Shivam Dube’s career changed after he moved to CSK in 2022. He has become one of India’s top T20 players now. A player like Dube will be in demand at the auction, but whether he crosses 11 crore or not is a question. Hence, CSK should take the risk.
4. Devon Conway
Like Matheesha Pathirana, Devon Conway is an overseas player, who is associated with multiple franchises of the Super Kings family. Conway played a crucial role in CSK’s IPL 2023 triumph, but he should be available for less than 11 crore at the auction.
5. Deepak Chahar
In the 2022 mega auction, CSK let go of Deepak Chahar and then ended up spending a huge amount to sign him. Chahar has been injury-prone, and that’s why there is a big question mark over the possibility of teams fighting for him like that again. Thus, it would make sense to let him go.
