"They need a good No. 3 batter" - Irfan Pathan on the areas CSK would look to beef up at the IPL 2024 auction

Irfan Pathan feels the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) need to acquire a proficient No. 3 batter at the IPL 2024 auction.

The Chennai-based franchise released eight players as part of their retention exercise, with the unavailable Ben Stokes and the retired Ambati Rayudu being the prominent names. The defending champions have an available purse of ₹31.40 crore and can buy a maximum of six players, including three foreigners.

Previewing the auction on Star Sports, Pathan opined that the defending champions require a No. 3 batter apart from a replacement for Rayudu.

"Ajinkya Rahane started playing for CSK on the Wankhede pitch. That was his first game and he did really well. After that, he kept his momentum going forward. But they are aware that he is slightly restricted when it comes to slow pitches. So they would want to have a backup for him as well," he explained.

The former India all-rounder added:

"You need to understand that MS Dhoni is not at his peak and he used to bat at No. 8 regularly. Everyone wanted MS Dhoni to bat up the order but he didn't. Even Dhoni knows that he is not young anymore. So they definitely need a replacement for Ambati Rayudu but they need a good No. 3 batter as well."

Rahane smashed 326 runs at an outstanding strike rate of 172.48 in 11 innings in IPL 2023. Apart from him, CSK can also use either Moeen Ali or Shivam Dube at No. 3 depending on the situation and the pitch conditions.

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"They have a lot of fast bowlers who can get injured regularly" - Irfan Pathan suggests Harshal Patel as a potential acquisition for CSK

Harshal Patel (left) could prove to be a handy bowler on the Cheapuk surface. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Citing Deepak Chahar's example, Irfan Pathan pointed out that the Chennai Super Kings have a few injury-prone bowlers.

"They have a lot of fast bowlers who can get injured regularly, guys like Deepak Chahar. They keep a lot of faith in Deepak Chahar but if he is not fit and available, they can be in a mess," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator reckons Harshal Patel can be a good acquisition for the MS Dhoni-led side.

"So what they need - maybe a guy like Harshal Patel. Bangalore is not far from there, so just get Harshal Patel with a small ride of five hours, and just get him in CSK," Pathan added.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore released Harshal as part of their retention process. The right-arm seamer can be a potent weapon in Chennai, with his deceptive slower ones likely to grip on the spin-friendly Chepauk pitch.