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There is no doubt that the 2020 edition was the worst for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the history of Indian Premier League (IPL). The ‘Yellow Army’ ended the tournament at the seventh spot, assembling only 12 points in 14 matches. No wonder, it was also the first time that Super Kings failed to qualify for the playoffs in the cash-rich league.
Seeing Chennai’s abysmal performances, former India international Aakash Chopra has come up with a strategic plan for them concerning the 2021 season. Chopra reckoned that CSK should release those players who haven’t played any kind of competitive cricket for ages.
“Look, Shane Watson has already bid farewell, and in my opinion, Imran Tahir will also leave. I think this team should say goodbye to Kedar Jadhav. And I won’t be surprised if they discontinue with Murali Vijay as well,” said Chopra in a video on his official Facebook page.
“I think a lot of players from this team won’t be seen playing cricket again or at least won’t be seen plying their trade with CSK.”
“If we talk about bowling then Piyush Chawla did alright but failed to live up to the expectations, so CSK might take a call there. I think Monu Singh won’t be seen again in CSK. This team badly needs overhauling,” he added.
CSK should release MS Dhoni: Chopra
Chopra opined that CSK should opt against retaining their superstar MS Dhoni as the mega auction might take place for IPL 2021. The cricketer-turned-commentator remarked that if CSK decides to retain Dhoni, then they will lose out on Rs 15 crore, which can be utilised elsewhere.
Chopra came up with a suggestion that CSK should send the Ranchi-lad back into the auction pool, and then use the Right To Match (RTM) card to buy him back. The former India opener said that by doing this CSK can save some money.
“I think CSK should release MS Dhoni if there is a mega auction because the next event will take place after three years and would 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 you will have to pay Rs 15 crore,” asserted Chopra.
“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. In my view, they should not retain any player instead use a Right To Match card firstly for Dhoni and then for Faf du Plessis and Sam Curran,” Chopra added further.
