India's spin wizard Ravichandran Ashwin has suggested a potential replacement for Ambati Rayudu in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) lineup for the upcoming Indian Premier League 2024. Rayudu, a seasoned player who represented both Mumbai Indians and CSK, announced his retirement following CSK's triumph in the IPL 2023 earlier this year.
With the IPL 2024 auction set to take place on December 19 in Dubai, featuring a pool of 1166 shortlisted players, Ashwin has identified one player he believes could be the ideal replacement for Rayudu in MS Dhoni's CSK squad.
“I have a feeling that they will invest it on Karun Nair. They are searching for a replacement for Ambati Rayudu. Shahrukh is not a replacement for him at No.4. I have no idea who they are going to play in that position this season. They might try a left-hand option but if you look at CSK’s track record, they have never gone for an unknown commodity. They have never played anybody who just did well in their first season of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“So, Karun Nair, folks, brace yourself to see him in yellow. I am not committing to anything, just doing a little Ravi Shastri impression,” he continued.
Ashwin further remarked that CSK captain Dhoni favors players who can seamlessly transition between the top and middle orders, and that Nair's skillset aligns well with the requirements of the Chennai-based franchise.
“He is somebody who can play spin well, who could sweep and reverse sweep. MS Dhoni loves it when there is a batter who can play between the top order and the middle order in the No.4 slot, especially in Chennai. I feel Karun Nair is perfect for that. I haven’t really seen Manish Pandey play spin too much in Chennai but Karun Nair, remember has a triple hundred in a Test match played in Chennai,” he added.
Ashwin also commended Nair's resilience in the face of adversity.
“He has had a tough time in the last few years. It is not easy, you score a triple century in Test cricket and all of a sudden you find yourself nowhere. That is very difficult for any person’s mental make up but he has fought it out so hats off Karun. He did well in the KPL as well so, it all looks good for him,” Ashwin further added.
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