Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Wednesday retained the likes of Ravindra Jadeja (INR 16 crore), skipper MS Dhoni (INR 12 crore), Moeen Ali (INR 8 crore) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (INR 6 crore) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction in January. There were many notable absentees in CSK’s retention list, including South African stalwart Faf du Plessis. He was CSK’s second-highest run-scorer (449 runs in 13 matches) during IPL 2021 and played a key role in their title triumph last season.
Many had tipped du Plessis to be retained by CSK, but Englishman Moeen Ali’s all-round brilliance was the decisive factor behind his retention ahead of the mega auction.
CSK CEO Kasi Vishwanathan, however, hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing back the South African batter.
“We look forward to getting them back. For example, Faf has been a team man who has taken us to the finals of two important seasons. It will be our endeavour to go and try for him. But it’s not in our hands. We wish them all the very best wherever they are. We look forward to having a very good 2022,” he said in a video uploaded by CSK.
With CSK boasting a strong win percentage at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Viswanathan also hinted at the possibility of having a full-capacity Chepauk stadium during the upcoming season.
“Chennai has been a very lucky ground for us; we had a good home advantage. That is because of the support we get from the CSK fans who throng the stadium. I hope that this year we get the entire MA Chidambaram Stadium for our use,” he added.
Jadeja was the first name in the retention list released by CSK, followed by captain Dhoni. However, Vishwanathan said that the veteran wicketkeeper-batter “controls the team”, and has remained the mainstay for CSK.
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“Thala (Dhoni) has been the mainstay of CSK. He has been a captain who has delivered for us. He gets the best out of the team every time he plays. As far as we are concerned, Thala plays a major role because he controls the team, and the team is benefitted by his experience. Nobody can doubt his skills as a captain,” he said.
CSK will aim to defend their title in the upcoming season, which will have two new franchises — Lucknow and Ahmedabad — to the already existing pool of eight teams.
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