IPL : “You can create a strong team if you have the money,” Aakash Chopra feels CSK should release MS Dhoni in mega auction

IPL : “You can create a strong team if you have the money,” Aakash Chopra feels CSK should release MS Dhoni in mega auction

Aakash Chopra and MS Dhoni

Aakash Chopra and MS Dhoni
Aakash Chopra and MS Dhoni

Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 was a complete disaster for the Chennai Super Kings. They finished seventh on the points table. The three-times champions were outplayed in every aspect of the game as they saw themselves lingering at the bottom of the table for the majority of the season. Even with a team packed with seasoned veterans of the format, CSK failed to replicate their past glory. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in the history of the league.

The disastrous performance clearly meant the team needed to be build again from the scratch. And with reports of mega auctions floating in, it seems to be the franchise’s only hope. Barring a couple of players who stepped for the side in the trying times, CSK must be looking to shed the weight as they gear up for the next season.

You can pick Dhoni in the auction

CSK Skipper MS Dhoni
CSK Skipper MS Dhoni

As the talks of a mega auction heat up, former Indian batsman Aakash Chopra suggested that CSK must release skipper MS Dhoni if the mega auctions happen. Chopra shares that releasing him will release funds for the franchise to build a strong team. And Dhoni could be bought back with the Right to Match (RTM) card in the auction. He adds that CSK shouldn’t throw away this golden opportunity of building a strong team from the scratch.

“I think CSK should release MS Dhoni going into the mega auction. If there is a mega auction then you will be with that player for three years. But will Dhoni stay with you for three years? I am not saying don’t keep Dhoni, he will play the next IPL. But if you keep him as a retained player but you will have to pay Rs 15 crore,” said Chopra in a video.

“If Dhoni does not stay with you for three years and he plays just the 2021 season, you will get the Rs 15 crore back for the 2022 edition, but how will you find a player worth that Rs 15 crore? That’s the advantage of a mega auction, you can create a big team if you have the money. If you release Dhoni for the mega auction, you can pick him with the right to match card and you can pick the right players by having the desired money in your kitty. You can pick Dhoni in the auction, from CSK point of view, if they release Dhoni and then pick him up in auction, it would be beneficial for them,” he added.

Chopra adds with a mega auction on the cards, Chennai shouldn’t look back towards Harbhajan Singh and Suresh Raina. Both Raina and Harbhajan pulled out of IPL 2020 on personal grounds.

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