MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni [Photo-AFP]

Aakash Chopra, the former Indian opener-turned commentator, feels if a mega IPL auction indeed takes place before the 14th edition of the cash-rich league then the Chennai Super Kings [CSK] should not retain their talismanic leader, MS Dhoni.

According to a player retention policy, if CSK retains MS Dhoni then a sum of Rs 15 Crore will be deducted from their purse and it will seriously handicap them as far as building their squad from scratch is concerned. Chopra reckoned that CSK should send Dhoni in the auction pool and then regain his services via the ‘Right To Match’ card. According to the former Indian opener by doing so, CSK will not only have Dhoni for the 2021 edition but the saved money will also help them to build their squad from scratch.

“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,” Aakash Chopra said in a video posted on his official Facebook account.

“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,” Chopra reasoned.

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,” he added.

 

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“CSK needs a mega auction”- Aakash Chopra

CSK, Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, CSK, DC, Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings [Photo-Twitter]
Aakash Chopra further added that out of the eight franchises, it is the Chennai Super Kings, who desperately need the mega-auction to take place before the 2021 edition of the IPL, given the way their squad exploded in the recently concluded season.

While Shane Watson has already announced his retirement from active cricket, Aakash Chopra reckoned that CSK might not look at the likes of Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh- both of whom opted out of the 13th season due to personal reasons- if they are looking to build their squad from scratch.

“CSK needs a mega auction, the side does not have many players that can be retained. If you want to make a team from the scratch, then are you willing to spend big bucks on the likes of Faf du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu? I don’t think that CSK will look at the likes of Raina and Harbhajan if they are making a team from the scratch,” said Chopra.

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