All eyes will be on MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during the Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction 2024, which is scheduled to take place in Dubai on December 19. The auction itself officially begins CSK’s championship defence, even though the IPL 2024 season is scheduled to begin in March of next year. To win the title again, Chennai must have the ideal squad balance going into the next season because other title contenders will undoubtedly strengthen the team.
The Super Kings have already let go of notable players including Ben Stokes, Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Pretorius, and Kyle Jamieson before of the 2024 IPL season. CSK now has a list of 19 retained players after fringe players including Sisanda Magala, Bhagath Varma, Akash Singh, and Subhranshu Senapati were also released.
CSK’s strategy for IPL 2024 auction
CSK is renowned for taking risks during IPL auctions, and their bets have typically paid off.
Looking back to the first-ever IPL Auction in 2008, the Chennai Super Kings executed a brilliant move. The rest is history, as CSK refused to give in to the temptation of an iconic player and instead chose to protect their wallet for a then-record fee of US$ 1.5 million for one MS Dhoni.
In the 14 seasons that CSK had, Dhoni led the team to 10 finals and five IPL titles, which tied Mumbai Indians for the most with 16 seasons played.
Except the seasoned Ambati Rayadu, who retired following the season’s final, CSK has managed to keep every member of their regular starting XI from the IPL 2023, their most recent title-winning campaign.
MS Dhoni’s primary goal during the preseason will be to replace Rayadu, who participated in all 16 of CSK’s IPL 2023 matches. Rayadu is a seasoned middle-order player.
One especially intriguing instance is that of Shahrukh Khan, who was recently released by Punjab Kings. The Tamil Nadu batter was eventually conceded to PBKS for 9.00 crores at the IPL 2022 auction after CSK had placed a staggering price of 8.75 crores for him.
Because Khan is a resident of Chennai, the CSK management will be even more motivated to see through the move. CSK has a history of following up on players they have missed at auctions.
If CSK decides to make a major investment to bring in a proven match-winner, Australian speedster Mitchell Starc could be a compelling choice. He is expected to draw big bids from various organisations.
While CSK managed to succeed last season without Ben Stokes, few teams will turn down the opportunity to have a proven match-winner in their lineup.
