Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh is not going to be a part of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The cricketer confirmed this decision to the team management on Friday.
Harbhajan made the announcement after 13 members of the franchise tested positive for COVID-19 including two Indian players Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaekwad.
CSK now have a tough task to pick a replacement for Harbhajan. However, besides the senior pros, there are also some youngsters who can be roped in as an adequate replacement for Singh.
On that note, here are 3 players who can be a good option for CSK;
Jalaj Saxena
His name might surprise many but Jalaj Saxena is an experienced campaigner and has been in excellent form of his life since 2015. Saxena, winner of four Lala Amarnath Award in past five seasons has 2354 runs and 202 wickets since 2015/16 season for Madhya Pradesh and Kerala.
India A player has 633 runs and 49 wickets in 54 T20s so far. He also has experience of playing 123 first-class matches.
The 33-year-old has been also a part of IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Mumbai Indians (MI) and Delhi Capitals (DC) but hasn’t played a game. He represented Mumbai in champions League.
S Manigandan
Leg-break bowler S Manigandan had inscribed his name by delivering in the last Tamil Nadu Premier League. If CSK wants to endeavour with local talents, Manigandan can be proved as an asset.
In 10 TNPL matches, the 24-year-old had picked 16 wickets while representing Koval Kings. He has scalped eight wickets in the last five tours for Kings.
Manigandan’s debut was also remarkable as he picked two wickets off two balls in the very first over. A bright future can be glimpsed in this youngster.
Shams Mulani
The 23-year-old Shams Mulani has a considerable domestic cricket experience. He is remarkable with the bat as well with the ball, in short, a package full of talent.
In 10 first-class matches, Mulani has scored 556 runs alongside with picking 28 wickets. The 23-year-old all-rounder has scored 79 runs in 22 T20s and also scalped 20 wickets with an average of 23.25.
Mulani’s left-arm orthodox skills might fill Harbhajan’s gap and he can be an option for a long term nominee for the franchise.
Also read: IPL 2020: 3 players who can replace Suresh Raina in Chennai Super Kings
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