5 players Chennai Super Kings should get in the IPL trade 

Even though the Indian Premier League's 12th edition is still far away from tip-off, the entire cricketing fraternity is excited about the trade and auction. The auction will happen towards the end of this year but the front-offices will have a hectic task during this off-season trading period to make their teams better and move a step ahead in their pursuit of the title.

Chennai Super Kings completed a dream comeback to the league after a two-year hiatus and won it all in style. Though the management and the front-office staff were targeted for buying relatively older players, they used their talent and experience to dismantle the opposition teams with strong performances.

The Super Kings have been dominant throughout the season and rarely committed any mistakes. They got their combinations right and everyone came up big to clinch the title with a collective effort.

Albeit the critics and fans might think that there is no scope to improve the team that is already one of the strongest, if not the strongest in the league, it is the job of the franchise to continuously look for ways to get better and they will be looking to make the most out of this trade period.

Through the course of this article, let us look at five players CSK should get in the IPL trade.

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#5 Manan Vohra: Played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2018

Manan Vohra did not get enough chances on a stacked RCB team

IPL 2018 Stats: 4 Matches, 55 runs, 13.75 average

Manan Vohra is a veteran when it comes to IPL and has been part of the league for 6 years. He spent first five years of his tenure with the Kings XI Punjab and made quite an impact. In his debut game, he stroked his way to an unbeaten 43 off 26 balls. In the 2014 IPL Final, Vohra came up alive and scored 67 runs and was involved in a very crucial 129-run partnership with Wriddhiman Saha.

He played for his new team, Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2018 and did not get the kind of opportunities he would have desired. He only featured in four games and did not shine as he scored just 55 runs at an average of 13.75. In a stacked team like RCB filled with talented players, there is no room for error and his continuous poor performances meant he had to be dropped from the team.

However, Vohra is definitely a talented player and once he gets going, he is hard to stop and can definitely get some valuable runs at the top of the order with his cautious approach.

Why CSK should get Vohra?

CSK used Rayudu as an opener along with Shane Watson for the most part of the last season and enjoyed great success. However, it is a known fact that Rayudu is most efficient when he bats at number four which is also the position he bats in the one-day format for the national side. Having a player like Vohra who has batted with veteran openers in Punjab can really benefit the Super Kings side. CSK is lacking a specialist opener and Vohra can be that guy who can deliver the goods.

Is the trade realistic?

The RCB team will have nothing to lose here as their team is already stacked with openers. While the opening slot is set, the fringe has the likes of Brendon McCullum and Parthiv Patel who are waiting for opportunities. Therefore, Royal Challengers' front-office has the flexibility to find a good package to ship the 7-year IPL veteran to some other team. CSK should definitely go at Vohra and bolster their opening slot.

#4 Carlos Brathwaite: Played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2018

Carlos Brathwaite's

all-round

ability will lift CSK's overall profile

IPL 2018 Stats (bat): 4 Matches, 75 runs

IPL 2018 Stats (bowl): 4 Matches, 5 Wickets, 9.24 Economy

Carlos Brathwaite is a name that needs no introduction to T20 cricket fans. He is fondly remembered for his four consecutive sixes off Ben Stokes' bowling in the finals of ICC T20 World Cup 2016 Final against England.

He entered the IPL 2016 draft with a base price of 30 lakhs but was selected by the Delhi Daredevils for a whopping 4.2 crores. He did not enjoy great success during his two-year stint with the Daredevils and played for the Sunrisers in the last season. Albeit his stats are not eye-catching, he did have an impact and chipped in with crucial contributions.

Why CSK should get Brathwaite?

CSK is in dire need of an all-rounder who can just whack the ball out of the park with ease. On his day, Brathwaite can turn the game on its head and can win matches single-handedly as he has proved it on several occasions. Having an all-rounder like Brathwaite will give the CSK front-office to rest Bravo for few games and take the load off him.

Is the trade realistic?

Frankly speaking, no team would want to lose an all-rounder like Brathwaite who brings so much to the table. But for Sunrisers, the story is different as they already have Yusuf Pathan and Shakib-Al-Hasan who are regular features in the team. If there is one team who can lose Brathwaite without any worry, it is Sunrisers and the Super Kings front-office should definitely watch out for him.

#3 Kulwant Khejroliya: Played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2018

Kulwant Khejroliya carried Delhi on his back to the finals in Ranji Trophy 2018

IPL 2018 Stats: 3 Matches, 2 Wickets, 9.87 Economy

Bowling Type: Left-arm medium-fast

Kulwant Khejroliya had himself a great season and carried the Delhi team on his back, to the finals in Ranji Trophy 2018. He was Delhi's leading wicket-taker and picked up 18 scalps in 13 innings at an economy rate of just 3.31.

The Delhi pacer continued his terrific form and in the recently-concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy, he took 15 wickets in just five matches and played a huge part in Delhi's success along with Navdeep Saini. The Delhi team lost in the finals to a really-good Mumbai team but Khejroliya received high praise for his consistency throughout the tournament.

Khejroliya entered the IPL in 2017 when he was selected by the Mumbai Indians for 10 lakhs. However, he did not get an opportunity and warmed the bench throughout the season. He was selected by the Royal Challengers Bangalore last season but only got the chance to play in three matches. RCB had Umesh Yadav and Siraj who breathed fire throughout the season, along with England's Chris Woakes who featured in few games.

Why CSK should get Khejroliya?

With RCB's bowling looking completely set after their continuous bowling struggles throughout the years, CSK can definitely try targeting for the Delhi pacer taking into the account, his strong performances in the domestic circuit. He can definitely fortify the Super Kings' pace-department.

Is the trade realistic?

It will be very interesting to see if RCB will trade Khejroliya as he is currently one of the hottest bowlers in the country. They might also want to keep him on the team in case their spearhead bowlers fail and leak runs. One thing is for sure, Khejroliya has definitely raised few eyebrows with his performances in the domestic circuit and CSK should definitely make use of his services.

#2 Khaleel Ahmed: Played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2018

Khaleel Ahmed has the ability to deliver the goods for CSK

IPL 2018 Stats: 1 Match, 0 Wickets, 12.66 Economy

Bowling Type: Left-arm medium-fast

Khaleel Ahmed has performed brilliantly at the youth level with consistent performances and is particularly remembered for his 3/29 figures against the neighbouring Sri Lanka in the finals of the Tri-Nation under-19s tournament in Colombo.

The left-arm medium-fast bowler was drafted into the world's prestigious league in 2016 by Delhi Daredevils but did not get to play in a single game. Last season, he went to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, a team that is known for their bowling prowess. He only played in one game for the Sunrisers and was wicketless.

Why CSK should get Khaleel?

The Chennai Super Kings have two magnificent pace bowlers in the form of Deepak Chahar and Lungisani Ngidi who performed consistently throughout the tournament. The two pacers combined for 21 wickets and ran through the opposition batting lineup.

However, having an additional pacer like Khaleel Ahmed will help the management and gives them the freedom to rest one of these bowlers in case of an injury or to avoid any potential injury. It will also take the pressure off the bowlers knowing that they have an additional pacer who can take some of their load if they cannot get it going and struggle to perform.

Is the trade realistic?

Sunrisers Hyderabad's bowling unit is already stacked with bowlers like Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The team also has Billy Stanlake and Basil Thampi, two pacers who are fighting for a place in the team. The Sunrisers will be more than happy to ship Khaleel to another team and CSK should have their eyes on the 20-year-old.

#1 Shahbaz Nadeem: Played for the Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2018

Shahbaz Nadeem had an extraordinary outing at the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy 2018

IPL 2018 Stats: Six Matches, Three Wickets, 10.73 Economy

Bowling Type: Slow left-arm orthodox

Shahbaz Nadeem ran riot in the recently concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy and ended up as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 24 wickets with an eye-catching economy rate of just 3.86. The slow left-arm orthodox bowler carried the bulk of the bowling responsibilities for Jharkhand and played a key role in taking them to the semi-finals.

Nadeem who was selected by the Delhi Daredevils in 2011 has been with the team for the past seven seasons. Though he was initially a regular feature in the Daredevils' squad, he has not got enough opportunities in the last 3-4 seasons and was restricted to the bench.

His stats took a dip last season when he only played in 6 matches for the franchise and picked up just three wickets at an economy rate of 10.73.

Why CSK should get Nadeem?

The Super Kings did not get enough from their spinners last season. The right-arm leg-spinner Karn Sharma played in six matches and picked up just four wickets and the veteran Imran Tahir picked up six wickets after featuring in just six matches. With age catching up Tahir, the Chennai Super Kings' franchise needs to look beyond and bolster the spin department and there is no one better than Nadeem who can help this team immensely at this juncture.

Is the trade realistic?

With the likes of Rahul Tewatia and Amit Mishra featuring regularly in the team and performing consistently, Nadeem will not help the team much and the Daredevils definitely have the convenience to explore options for trading him.