Ravindra Jadeja has been a giant of T20 cricket, more so for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), being part of the franchise for 12 seasons in the IPL, since 2012, while playing a crucial role in three of the side’s five titles and rather decisively in the most recent one in 2023, when he scored a six and a four when 10 runs were needed of the last two balls in the final against the Gujarat Titans.
Fast forward two years, Jadeja the T20 player is on a decline, having left the format at the highest level and is thinking of finishing his IPL career where it started – at the Rajasthan Royals.
While Royals will get a five-in-one player – a batter, a spin bowler, a terrific fielder, a big established name and of course a captaincy candidate – alongside potentially a Sam Curran, another all-rounder, who had found his bearings again, having earned a recall for England, where does that leave the Chennai Super Kings? CSK obviously will get a proven player, with a massive following, an impact batter and a wicketkeeping and captaincy option, but who fills the spinning all-rounder’s void?
Well, for that, there are a few ways, CSK can minimise the damage-
1. Left-arm spinning all-rounder – Akeal Hosein / Jagadeesha Suchith / Keshav Maharaj
Simple and straightforward! With Axar Patel, Krunal Pandya and Harsh Dubey all unavailable, the CSK scouting team and the management might have to look beyond the domestic options. Akeal Hosein plays for the Super Kings in the MLC and was recently picked by the Joburg Super Kings too, for the SA20, so the mind automatically goes back to him. However, with Dewald Brevis, Noor Ahmad, one of Matheesha Pathirana or Nathan Ellis set to take the three overseas spots, it might not be easy for Hosein to make the XI, even if they get him at the auction, given they will look for an overseas batting all-rounder.
2. Go for a batting all-rounder
Can CSK draft a Sikandar Raza or someone like Sanjay Yadav, closer to home, who has done well for Tamil Nadu and in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL)? Why not? Raza is still a well-sought player in T20 leagues around the world and even though he might not be a four-over bowler everyday, but he is an intelligent T20 cricketer, who knows his ways around the game.
Sanjay Yadav can be a good option as well, if CSK are looking to build a core for the future, given Shreyas Gopal is the only other renowned tweaker in the squad currently. There’s also Rachin Ravindra, but CSK will have to find a spot for him in the XI, with the top full to the brim and it will be difficult for the Men in Yellow to fit him in the middle order. Which way are CSK going to go?
3. Blood-in a young Indian spinner
Saransh Jain, Tanush Kotian and Prashant Solanki are frontrunners for that position. Off-spinner Jain has been impressive for Madhya Pradesh and Central Zone in domestic cricket, while there’s Tanush Kotian, who is in similar mould, but will offer much more with the bat. Solanki, the Maharashtra spinner, who has been with the Super Kings squad for a couple of years, too, would add a leg-spin option to the side, which can be used as a wicket-taking weapon in the years to come.
There are a couple of more options but unlikely that CSK will look towards them. How about Adil Rashid or an Adam Zampa? Proven leggies worldwide and big games but they might have an even lesser than Akeal Hosein of featuring in the XI. CSK can’t wait and hope for Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants to release Musheer Khan and Ravi Bishnoi, respectively, and hence, one of the aforementioned three options could be the way to go for the five-time champions.