Ashwin Proposes Bold Retention Strategy for CSK, Suggests Dhoni as Capped Player
Ravichandran Ashwin, the veteran Indian spinner, has sparked a debate by suggesting a bold retention strategy for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction. Ashwin believes that CSK should retain MS Dhoni as a capped player rather than an uncapped player, as allowed by the IPL Governing Council’s recent rule change.
Ashwin’s proposal stems from his belief that CSK should prioritize retaining a strong Indian core. He suggests retaining Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, and Dhoni as the five primary retentions. This would leave CSK with the option of retaining Sameer Rizvi as an uncapped player, a move that Ashwin supports despite Rizvi’s underwhelming performance in IPL 2024.
Ashwin argues that Rizvi has shown promise in the UP T20 League and could be a valuable asset for CSK. He also points out that Rizvi’s price would not be significantly higher than other similar players in the market. However, former South Africa performance analyst Prasanna Raman disagrees with Ashwin’s assessment of Rizvi’s value.
The IPL Governing Council’s decision to allow Indian players who have not played internationally for five or more years to be retained as uncapped players has given CSK a route to retain Dhoni for just Rs 4 crore. However, Ashwin believes that retaining Dhoni as a capped player would allow CSK to retain a stronger Indian core.
Ashwin’s perspective could have significant implications for CSK’s retention strategy. By retaining Dhoni as a capped player, CSK would have more flexibility in retaining other Indian players. This could help them build a more balanced and competitive team for the upcoming IPL seasons.