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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have shrugged off speculations regarding their involvement in a trade deal with Mumbai Indians (MI) for some of their star players, including Rohit Sharma. The CEO of CSK Kasi Viswanathan emphasised that the five-time champions are not open to trading their players and clarified that they have not initiated any discussions with MI.
MI's decision to appoint Hardik Pandya as captain, following his return to the franchise in a historic trade deal, sparked rumours of unrest within their camp. The surprising move of replacing Rohit as captain garnered criticism from several fans, who questioned the decision-making process of the five-time champions.
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After MI announced the new captain, Mahela Jayawardene, franchise's Global Head of Cricket, explained that the decision was made to be future-ready. Social media buzzed with rumours that some senior MI players, including Rohit, were thinking about leaving the team after Hardik became the captain.
"We don't trade players as a principle and we also don't have players to trade with Mumbai Indians. We have not approached them and we don't intend to either," Viswanathan said during the IPL auction, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
CSK have engaged in very few trades, and one notable example is acquiring Robin Uthappa from Rajasthan Royals (RR) before IPL 2022. Led by MS Dhoni, the franchise has achieved success by keeping a stable core over the years.
As Rohit departs for South Africa to lead Team India in an upcoming two-Test series, Mahela Jayawardene emphasised that the Indian captain will play a crucial role in the MI camp, both on and off the field.
WHAT DID MUMBAI INDIANS SAY?
The trade window for IPL 2024, which closed a week before the IPL mini-auction, is set to open on December 20 and will remain open until one month before the commencement of the upcoming season. The schedule for IPL 2024 is yet to be disclosed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
"Having Ro (Rohit Sharma) in the team, on and off the field to guide the next generation is very important for us. He has been absolutely brilliant. I have worked very closely with Ro. He is a fabulous individual and I am sure he will be part of the legacy who will guide that through," Jayawardene said in Dubai.
Pandya will face pressure on his return to MI as the newly appointed captain. He must maintain a positive team environment as the franchise aims to break their three-year title drought.
Having spent 7 years with MI before moving to Gujarat Titans (GT), Hardik achieved immediate success as captain. Under his leadership, the GT secured the title in 2022 and reached the final in 2023. Following his IPL success, Hardik also captained the Indian team in T20Is, leading in 11 matches in 2023. During this period, Rohit opted out of T20Is to focus on preparations for the ODI World Cup.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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