Chennai Super Kings (CSK) recorded a forgetful campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 as they failed to make it to the playoffs for the first time in the tournament’s history. More importantly, it’s unlikely now that CSK’s core will be built around captain MS Dhoni, who is 39 already and is in the final lap of his career after retiring from international cricket earlier this year. Former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra feels CSK should not retain Dhoni if a mega auction takes place ahead of the new season.
“I think CSK should release MS Dhoni going into the mega auction, if there is a mega auction then you will be with that player for three years. But will Dhoni stay with you for three years? I am not saying don’t keep Dhoni, he will play the next IPL, but if you keep him as a retained player but you will have to pay Rs 15 crore,” said Chopra in a video posted on his Facebook account.
Retaining Dhoni would mean CSK will have to shell out a whopping Rs 15 crore for their captain which will be a huge amount spent on a player who might not play beyond next year. Chopra thus wants CSK to use the Right To Match option for Dhoni after releasing him and use the money wisely to bring in more good players in the squad.
“If Dhoni does not stay with you for three years and he plays just the 2021 season, you will get the Rs 15 crore back for the 2022 edition, but how will you find a player worth that Rs 15 crore? That’s the advantage of a mega auction, you can create a big team if you have the money. If you release Dhoni for the mega auction, you can pick him with the right to match card and you can pick the right players by having the desired money in your kitty. You can pick Dhoni in the auction, from CSK point of view, if they release Dhoni and then pick him up in auction, it would be beneficial for them,” Chopra explained.
CSK finished at the seventh spot in the points table in IPL 2020 and are one of the teams who will be looking forward to making the most of the mega auction if it happens by releasing a host of players, who failed to impress this year.
