The eight franchises of the Indian Premier League have locked their retention list. On November 30, the list of retained players were confirmed by the existing eight teams. IPL 2022 will have 2 new teams in the form of Lucknow and Ahmedabad and they will also take part in the mega auction. All these factors have increased the level of excitement for the upcoming IPL 2022 mega auctions. The teams have to build their squad from zero. Each franchise will look forward to acquire players who can be their long term partners. There was a limit on the number of retentions for each team and therefore it was not possible for the franchises to keep their existing players. And many teams have not even utilized their four retentions so that they can have a higher purse amount for the mega auction. Some teams will target young talent whereas some teams will look for a new captain. In this article we will talk about 4 times champions Chennai Super Kings and their approach towards the mega auction. It will be interesting to see who they will target in the auction for the next editions of the tournament. IPL 2022 Mega Auction : CSK five target players.
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CSK target players IPL 2022
Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were in a dilemma of releasing players after having won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 trophy. They had a stable and star studded squad but as per the rules they had to let go off players. After releasing many star players they decided to retain all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (Rs 16 crore), captain MS Dhoni (Rs 12 crore), England all-rounder Moeen Ali (Rs 8 crore) and opening batter Ruturaj Gaikwad (Rs 6 crore). Among the big names they released were Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur and Josh Hazlewood. Heading into the IPL 2022 mega auction, they have a purse of Rs 48 crore remaining since they spent Rs 42 crore in retaining four players. In this article we look at five players CSK could target at the auction in January. Some would be the players that they had to let go and some would be an interesting trade from other teams.
Let’s have a look at five players that CSK can target in the IPL 2022 mega auctions.
Faf du Plessis
Faf du Plessis and Ruturaj Gaikwad formed an exceptional opening combination for CSK during IPL 2021. Both scored over 600-plus runs, and their excellent contribution as openers was one of the main reasons behind CSK’s title triumph. However, Chennai could only retain one of the two openers and, keeping the future in mind, they went for Gaikwad. Du Plessis, the top order batter had been a core member of the team in the last few seasons. His tendency to perform under pressure is his speciality; his superb 86 in the final is what pushed the team to secure the 4th title in 2021. Besides, the former South Africa captain has been a loyal servant of the franchise. Despite age not being on his side, he has proven age is just a number and is likely to be taken back by the CSK franchise in the mega auction. The team is likely to go for him if he can be brought in at a cheaper price.
Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina has been an instrumental figure in helping CSK qualify so many of the knockout stages in the last 10-12 years. But after missing out on the 2020 season due to personal problems and then not living up to expectations in the 2021 edition, CSK was left with no other choice and hence released him. But he has been one of the top scorer of IPL and a dear friend of the captain, CSK might be keen on getting him back in squad.He can bowl and is an exceptional fielder with quick reflexes. He has taken match winning catches and run outs over the decade he has served the Super Kings. Although if he does get back he might not get a high price as he’s been not playing any international cricket and is a veteran. Taking into consideration his loyalty towards the team, CSK will definitely try to get him back.
Sam Curran
Super Kings would be looking to get back their quality all-rounder in their line-up, which leads them to target England all-rounder Sam Curran, who was released by Chennai Super Kings itself. Curran missed most of the UAE leg of IPL 2021 due to injury. Before that, he claimed nine wickets in as many games and also scored some quick runs. The advantage with Curran is that he can open both the batting and the bowling, which is a rare quality in a cricketer. He has a strike rate of 149+ and 32 wickets in his IPL career. Curran might be expensive, but Kings would be keen on getting an all-rounder, considering the package that he offers. His young age and talent makes him a candidate of CSK target players IPL 2022.
Shikhar Dhawan
Faf du Plessisans and Ruturaj Gaikwad formed a solid opening combination for CSK and was one of the reasons they could win 2021’s title. Having released Faf du Plessis, CSK would be looking for an opener to bat with Ruturaj Gaikwad. Shikhar Dhawan could be a good like-for-like replacement for Du Plessis. He has had two excellent seasons for Delhi Capitals in 2020 and 2021. The 35-year-old amassed 618 runs in 2020 and 587 runs in 2021. Though he may no longer be in the scheme of things in India’s T20 outfit, he is someone who can offer a lot as an opener in the IPL. He could be the one big purchase for the kings in this auction. The 35-year-old is very fit and only seems to be improving with age. CSK have always put their faith in veteran and experienced players. The examples are Dhoni, Watson, Tahir and Plessis. So it will not be shocking to see Dhawan in yellow jersey.
Shardul Thakur
Thakur is one of the big names Chennai Super Kings had to let go for the auction as they retained captain MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Given what he brings to the table, the Chennai franchise might be interested to have him back in the squad by trying to purchase him at the mega auction. The 30-year-old bowling all-rounder is at the peak of his powers. During the tour in England, he showed what he could do with bat and ball under adverse circumstances. When he returned to the UAE for IPL 2021, he was one of CSK’s star performers, claiming massive scalps game after game, including the final. He ended up as one of the top wicket-takers in IPL 2021. Thakur’s variations with the ball come in handy in T20 cricket. Add to that, he will add depth to the batting unit.
