IPL 2021 Auction: Kedar Jadhav Might Be The Only Released Player CSK Might Go For, Says Ashish Nehra

Former India and Chennai Super Kings pacer Ashish Nehra has said the only player he sees CSK acquiring from the list of players that they have released is Kedar Jadhav. This opinion comes despite the all-rounder’s below-par performance in the last two editions of the IPL.

Kedar Jadhav was bought by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise before the IPL 2018 edition in the auction. Chennai Super Kings had engaged in the bidding war with Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the mega IPL 2018 auction and bought the Maharashtra player for INR 7.8 crores.

It was a huge amount for Kedar Jadhav, who is a multifaceted player who can bat, bowl, and even keep wickets. Unfortunately, Jadhav only managed to play one game in the IPL 2018 for the CSK team, injuring his hamstring the tournament opener and missed the remaining matches.

However, his performances in the IPL 2019 and IPL 2020 were below par. He made 165 runs in 14 matches in IPL 2019 at a strike rate of 95.85 and then made 62 runs in 8 matches in IPL 2020 without hitting a single six in the tournament.

It May Be Difficult, But Kedar Jadhav Is The Only Released Player CSK Can Go For: Ashish Nehra

The Chennai Super Kings released just five players – Kedar Jadhav, Murali Vijay, Harbhajan Singh, Piyush Chawla, and Monu Kumar – apart from the already retired Shane Watson as part of their retention exercise ahead of the auction.

However, out of this list, Ashish Nehra, former CSK bowler, feels that he can only see the franchise management going for Kedar Jadhav.

“It is difficult but I see Kedar Jadhav as the only player they could go for. If they can get him at a lesser price as I think he was around 8 crore or so. Those things are very important. Other than that, I don’t think they will go for any of the other players they have left,” said the former CSK player.

Ashish Nehra Suggests All-Rounder Options To Replace Retired Shane Watson

Chennai Super Kings also have the headache to find a similar replacement for Australia all-rounder Shane Watson, who has retired from franchise T20 cricket. He has played a huge role in CSK winning the IPL in 2018, scoring a century in the final; and then scored another brilliant half-century as CSK fell one run short of winning the IPL 2019 against Mumbai Indians in the finals.

Ashish Nehra said that CSK might eye either Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan or England’s Moeen Ali to replace Watson.

“Shakib Al Hasan and Moeen Ali are the best options I see for this team. MS Dhoni likes those type of players as both of them bowl and bat. Whether they play their matches in Chennai or in the UAE, wherever it is, both these players have experience of the IPL,” observed Nehra.

Also Read: IPL 2021 Auction: “We’re Looking To Go For Backups For Our Players”- Delhi Capitals’ Assistant Coach Mohammad Kaif