IPL 2021: 5 Players CSK could retain

After four seasons of enthralling cricketing action, the IPL gets ready for another shake-up, with a mega-auction set to take place ahead of the 2022 edition. There will be two new teams, and that would mean more slots for players and more exciting talent on show. However, all eyes will be on the player retention decisions of the franchises ahead of the all-in auction.

Teams like the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) that have built a stable and solid squad will have a tough choice of retaining only 2-3 players from multiple match-winners.

All eyes will especially be on CSK, considering they are the defending champions heading into the new season. They've won two titles over the past four years and narrowly missed out on a third after a defeat to MI in the 2019 final.

Nevertheless, CSK's stable and balanced side have fared well overall despite an unexpected slump in IPL 2020. With a wide array of worthy players to choose from, it won't be easy for the management to decide who to retain.

This discussion would be incomplete if we didn't talk about MS Dhoni. The CSK skipper was coy about his participation in IPL 2022 but said the decision would be best for the side. While there are players who CSK would like to secure for the future, we can't completely rule out the possibility of MS Dhoni donning yellow once more.

Nevertheless, for this article, we'll operate under the assumption that MS Dhoni won't be retained. With that out of the way, let's take a look at the top five options that CSK should consider retaining for IPL 2022.

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Honorable Mentions:

Faf Du Plessis - It's hard to leave Faf Du Plessis off this list after his excellent showings over the last couple of seasons. However, the fact remains that the overseas opener slot is one of the most populated ones.

The likes of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and a plethora of other options will be available in the auction. Consequently, it's hard to see CSK retaining Du Plessis over Indian stars like Ravindra Jadeja and Ruturaj Gaikwad.

CSK are a very loyal and faithful franchise, however, and they could retain Du Plessis. In such a case, he would be an excellent option to become their next captain. But that is unlikely to happen, and that's why we have left the South African out of the top five on this list.

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#5 Sam Curran

Sam Curran could be a wise retention for the future. (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Based on his performance in IPL 2021, there wouldn't be much reason for CSK to retain Sam Curran. However, considering the abundance of talent in this youngster and how much he has developed as a player in the last two seasons, he could well be the future of this franchise.

Curran was among CSK's best players in a disastrous IPL 2020, regularly contributing with the bat and delivering with the ball. However, while he did well in the first leg of IPL 2021, he lost his place to DJ Bravo in the UAE leg and couldn't make the most of the opportunities he got.

At 23 years of age, Curran is among the top all-rounders in the world, and he should only get better with time. A left-arm seamer who's equally good with the bat, we could see teams break the bank for someone like Curran in a couple of seasons' time.

CSK's strength in the past has been to identify such talents and back them, and they could do so with Curran too. While they could release the Englishman and try to re-sign him at the auction, retaining Curran with a future in mind isn't a far-fetched idea.

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#4 Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar has been among the top bowlers in the IPL over the last four seasons. (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Another example of CSK's excellent player recruitment, Deepak Chahar has been one of the most consistent performers for CSK over the last four seasons. While he's at his best with the new ball and in the powerplay, he has morphed into a bowler capable of bowling at all stages of the game.

Chahar has been staggeringly consistent for CSK and has already made his way into the Indian national side. While he did have a sub-par UAE leg in IPL 2021, the pacer has done enough to warrant retention from CSK. Chahar has all the qualities to be the leader of their pace attack, especially with him likely entering the prime of his career.

Considering the demand for Indian fast bowlers in auctions, a premier pacer like Chahar could go for lots of money if released. Consequently, it's unrealistic to expect CSK to buy him back without using an RTM card. Therefore, he is one of the candidates worthy of retention by CSK.

#3 Shardul Thakur

Shardul Thakur was arguably CSK's best bowler in IPL 2021. (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

While there wasn't much to separate Shardul Thakur from Deepak Chahar, his superior performances in IPL 2021 have made me rank him higher.

As we've often heard commentators exclaim, Thakur has a knack for picking up wickets and is CSK's strike bowler. He has always been one, and the only factor of concern was his high economy rate. Now that he's reined it in to a reasonable degree, Thakur is among the best pacers in India.

He has established himself in the Indian Test side, and that has also positively impacted his performances in white-ball cricket. Thakur's lines and lengths have been accurate this season, and he has picked up lots of wickets simply by making the batters work for their runs.

Indian seamers playing for the national team are assets that every IPL team would like to have. In Thakur, CSK have a promising talent who should do even better in the upcoming seasons. His wicket-taking abilities and his power-hitting with the bat make him a valuable resource in any T20 side, and he should be a frontrunner for retention.

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#2 Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad won both the Emerging Player Award and the Orange Cap. (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

While there was some explaining to do for the previous three picks, this one is pretty simple. A young and upcoming batter who won both the Orange Cap and the Emerging Player awards and has received the praise of the entire cricketing world is someone you'd want to retain.

Ruturaj Gaikwad's opening partnership with Faf Du Plessis was the backbone of CSK's strong showing in IPL 2021. The maturity and composure he showed at the crease was remarkable.

While Gaikwad endured a tough start to the season, he repaid the management's faith by putting out excellent performances in the UAE leg. He finished with a whopping 635 runs in 16 matches, averaging 45.35 at a solid strike rate of 136.26.

All franchises will want the best Indian talent in their squads for the long run, and if CSK let Gaikwad go, it will be a blunder. He's likely to be a mainstay of their batting lineup in future seasons, and it's a pretty easy decision to hold on to him.

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#1 Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja could become CSK's next captain. (Image Courtesy: IPLT20.com)

Retaining Ravindra Jadeja should be the easiest of decisions to make for CSK. He's easily the most valuable player in this CSK squad and is another reason for their success in IPL 2021.

Jadeja bowled tight lines and choked the run flow with the ball, finishing with 13 wickets at an excellent economy rate of 7.06. He also excelled as a finisher with the bat, scoring 227 runs at an average of 75.66, and could easily have scored more runs had he batted up the order.

Jadeja is also arguably the best fielder in world cricket right now, and all that adds up to a player that every side would want. He took 13 catches at IPL 2021, including two stunners in the final against KKR.

Jadeja has worked hard to become one of India's few all-format players. He's likely to be at his best for many seasons to come and should be the focal point for this CSK side in IPL 2022. Both fans and the team management should know that retaining Jadeja is a no-brainer and something that they should surely do.