"You can't replace a 50 lakh player with a 5 crore player" - Aakash Chopra on why CSK chose Sisanda Magala over Gerald Coetzee

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has given his opinion on why the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) signed Sisanda Magala as the replacement for Kyle Jamieson instead of Gerald Coetzee.

Jamieson was bought by Chennai in the IPL 2023 auction for INR 1 crore, but a long-term back injury forced the Kiwi speedster to be ruled out of the upcoming season. Many felt that CSK's alliance with SA20's Joburg Super Kings (JSK) would help them announce exciting speedster Gerald Coetzee as a replacement.

Quite a few eyebrows were raised when Chennai announced Sisanda Magala as Jamieson's replacement.

In a video on his YouTube channel, here's what Aakash Chopra had to say about the decision:

"I like the signing of Sisanda Magala. He was a prolific wicket-taker in the SA20 league. If you're thinking why Chennai couldn't sign Gerald Coetzee despite their ties with Joburg Super Kings, it's because Magala replaced Kyle Jamieson whose base price was 50 lakh. You can't replace a 50 lakh player with a 5 crore player. That's why they couldn't sign Coetzee."

(Note: Chopra's reasoning isn't correct here. Coetzee had a base price of Rs 20 lakh and not Rs 5 crore. Being from the lower bracket, the 22-year-old could have been availed.)

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Aakash Chopra on CSK's bowling options

Aakash Chopra believes Deepak Chahar's return has given the Chennai Super Kings a sensational new-ball partnership between the latter and Mukesh Choudhary. He feels Dwaine Pretorius could play the role of legendary bowler Dwayne Bravo at the backend of the innings.

Further elaborating on CSK's bowling attack, Chopra said:

"Their bowling is really good. You have Deepak Chahar and Mukesh Choudhary with the new ball. Then you have Dwaine Pretorius who will play the role of Dwayne Bravo.

"Then you have Theekshana, who if not available for few games, can be replaced by Mitchell Santner. You have Ravindra Jadeja and also Stokes, who can bowl 1-2 overs. So this looks really good on paper."

It will be interesting to see how Chennai make the most of their home conditions with their bowling attack.