The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be aiming for a successful 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. After failing to reach the playoffs in their first season under Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Men in Yellow must strengthen their squad for the upcoming auction cycle.
CSK has retained five players – Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, and MS Dhoni. With ₹55 crore in their purse and one RTM card, they have significant work ahead during the auction on November 24 and 25 in Saudi Arabia.
Mega-auction dynamics can be challenging to predict due to various factors. With that in mind, here are three areas CSK may find difficult to address at the IPL 2025 auction:
#1 CSK requires a backup wicketkeeper for MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni will play another IPL season, but it’s evident that his career is nearing its end. CSK currently lacks a clear backup for his wicketkeeping role. The Chennai Super Kings will need to address this at the auction.
With players like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Ishan Kishan likely beyond their budget, Jitesh Sharma emerges as the only realistic capped option. Other players such as Urvil Patel, Harvik Desai, and G Ajitesh are also in consideration, but replacing Dhoni is a major responsibility best suited for established players.
Although there have been rumors linking CSK to Pant, their limited budget after player retentions may hinder their ability to secure the left-hander. It will be interesting to see how they approach filling this gap.
#2 The Super Kings need a middle-order batter capable of attacking both pace and spin
In the 2023 season, CSK’s strategy of pairing pace and spin hitters in the middle order proved effective. Ajinkya Rahane excelled against pace, while Shivam Dube scored heavily against spinners.
However, in IPL 2024, this approach was exposed as opponents easily targeted the middle-order batters with unfavorable matchups, leaving CSK short of ideal scores on multiple occasions.
Chennai needs to find a middle-order batter capable of handling both pace and spin to ease the pressure on Dube. Players like Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook, Glenn Phillips, and Aiden Markram are strong options, but their ability to tackle spin, especially at Chepauk, remains uncertain.
#3 CSK may finally need to secure a dependable wrist-spinner
MS Dhoni has never been a strong supporter of having a wrist-spinner, but this could change under Gaikwad. With CSK’s spin-friendly home grounds, adding a leg-spinner could boost their chances of success.
Chennai should target players like Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Mayank Markande, or Suyash Sharma, though they might also consider an emerging leg-spinner, despite typically avoiding such options.
However, signing any of these players comes with challenges. Chahal could be out of their budget and isn’t always consistent, while Chahar is out of form, and Suyash needs to improve his length control. CSK may struggle to find a game-changing wrist-spinner.
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