The MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have followed a philosophy of having as many bowling options as possible, stacking their squad, and playing 11 with them. Over the years, several notable all-rounders have been part of the franchise, like Dwayne Bravo, Albie Morkel, and Sam Curran.
One of the most integral members of their squad is star Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. He can contribute in all three facets of the game and can, time and time again, win you a game single-handedly. His batting has improved tremendously over the past few years, making him the complete package.
Therefore, CSK must ensure that he is completely fit; if he isn’t, the team has backups who can perform a similar role. Let’s look at three players CSK can sign in the upcoming auction as a backup to ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
#1 Sikander Raza
The Zimbabwean all-rounder has had a memorable year on the international stage and was integral to Zimbabwe’s campaign at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. Sikandar Raza was the player of the match on three occasions.
He usually bats No. 5-6 and can contribute with his spin bowling. Therefore, CSK will be tempted to sign him and given that his base price is 50 Lakhs, he will definitely be a value for money buy for the franchise. Additionally, he is an aggressive batter against spin and is generally a quick starter.
This year he has scored more than 700 runs and taken 25 wickets in T20IS. Also, he is an experienced campaigner, which is another reason the franchise might target him. Hence, he can be an apt replacement for Jadeja.
#2 Micheal Bracewell
Given that he is a Kiwi, head coach Stephen Fleming will be tempted to recruit his services for the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. He made his T20I debut earlier this year against Ireland but has already demonstrated the skills which he possesses with both the bat and the ball.
He has won games for New Zealand with both bat and ball, not many in the shortest format given the opportunities he has gotten. But the ODI format has seen his capabilities with the bat where he has scored a century by batting in the lower middle order.
In the T20IS he has played he has scalped 17 wickets and also scored a half-century. The position at which he bats and the phases at which he bowls during the innings are identical to that of Jadeja. Therefore, CSK may raise the paddle for the Kiwi all-rounder.
#3 Pawan Negi
The once Pawan Negi who got a bid in excess of INR 8 crores by the Delhi Capitals formerly known as Delhi Daredevils hasn’t found a franchise for himself since 2021 when he was roped in as a replacement for the Kolkata Knight Riders. It is an unconventional choice to go for but sometimes it’s the unknown and out-of-the-box thinking that can become a Trump card for the team.
He was neither a part of Delhi’s Vijay Hazare Trophy nor the Ranji trophy. He could definitely be a dark horse for the franchise. Additionally, in whatever we have seen of him in the IPL he can be a hard-hitting batter in the lower middle order and bowls in the middle phase of the game.
He has already represented the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Chennai Super Kings in the previous editions of the IPL. He has scored 365 runs and picked up 34 wickets in the matches he has played for the franchises. Therefore, the franchise can look at him as an Indian replacement for Jadeja.
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