Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spent INR 30.4 crore on just six players at the IPL 2024 auction in Dubai on Tuesday, December 19. However, the players they picked and the gaps they were able to fill through those is probably been one of the best in the lot among all 10 teams. CSK were in the market for an Indian batter, an Indian pacer, an overseas all-rounder and an overseas pacer and they got all of them. Since, they had to let go of Ben Stokes and Ambati Rayudu as key players among others, CSK found the right options and are looking solid after the day's work.
The first pick of the day for them was Rachin Ravindra, the flavour of the month after the World Cup at a relatively cheaper price of just INR 1.8 crore. They followed it up with another cheap acquisition in getting back Shardul Thakur before breaking the bank for Daryl Mitchell in the same set of all-rounders. Mitchell joined CSK at INR 14 crore, following a miraculous show at World Cup including a couple of centuries against India.
CSK also added the likes of Mustafizur Rahman at his base price and UP lad Sameer Rizvi, who got a high bid of INR 8.4 crore. Rizvi is likely to take Rayudu's place in the playing XI while Mitchell will take the No.4 spit instead of Moeen Ali with Devon Conway, Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana being the other overseas players.
Deepak Chahar will continue to lead the bowling attack with left-armer Mukesh Choudhary complimenting from the other end. Thakur is likely to be Chahar's backup as it is difficult to get them both in the playing XI as for that Mukesh will have to sit out. And as for Rachin, he is being seen as the future and with Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner - players of similar styles - already in the squad, he won't make the first XI.
CSK's best possible playing XI for IPL 2024: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni (w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur/Mukesh Choudhary, Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana, Sameer Rizvi (impact player)
Chennai Super Kings full squad
MS Dhoni(w/c), Devon Conway, Ravindra Jadeja, Ajinkya Rahane, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Daryl Mitchell, Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Shivam Dube, Sameer Rizwi, Rachin Ravindra, Shardul Thakur, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Tushar Deshpande, Mitchell Santner, Maheesh Theekshana, Mustafizur Rahman, Matheesha Pathirana, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary, Ajay Mandal, Avanish Rao Aravelly, Nishant Sindhu, Shaik Rasheed
