IPL 2022 Auction: Predicting Chennai Super Kings squad ahead of upcoming edition

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are favorites to make smart buys at the upcoming IPL 2022 player auction. Traditionally, they have relied on a core group of players, acquiring street-smart cricketers who have helped them clinch the title on four occasions.

If their pattern is anything to go by, CSK will stick to the same template for the upcoming auction after retaining Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaikwad. With ₹ 48 crore remaining, CSK will focus on reacquiring most of the players they left out of retention.

Ahead of the mega auction in February, we take a look at the players CSK will look to buy.

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Predicting the CSK squad ahead of IPL 2022 Auction

CSK will most certainly look to buy Faf du Plessis. The former South Africa skipper has been an asset with the bat and on the field, and Daddy Army jokes aside, the reigning champions will target him for his rich contribution in their last two title triumphs.

Here's a look at potential targets with the bat for CSK at the auction:

Player	Role
Faf du Plessis	Opening bat
Narayan Jagadeesan	Opening bat (backup)
Suresh Raina	Middle-order bat
Ambati Rayudu	Middle-order bat
Shikhar Dhawan	Opening bat
Sam Billings	Middle-order bat
Shimron Hetmeyer	Middle-order bat
Steven Smith	Middle-order bat
Nitish Rana	Middle-order bat
Rahul Tripathi	Middle-order bat

Raina and Rayudu will be bargain buys and the side will have a cap on the duo, who have been CSK's pillars for the last few years. Expect at least one of them (mostly Raina) to come back into the fold along with du Plessis.

Dhawan could be an option for du Plessis should other teams buy the South African for a whopping price. Smith and Rana, along with Tripathi, make for a promising middle-order that comprises Jadeja, Moeen and Dhoni.

Moving on to the bowling department, CSK will look for genuine pacers who can bowl at both ends of the game.

Player	Role
Ravichandran Ashwin	Spinner
Mitchell Santner	Spinner
Lungi Ngidi	Seam
Kagiso Rabada	Seam
Pat Cummins	Seam
Deepak Chahar	Seam
T Natarajan	Seam
Sandeep Sharma	Seam

With Jadeja and Moeen sharing eight overs, CSK could see if welcoming Ashwin back into the fold would work. It would certainly bolster their spin attack and they could look at buying Chahar back. Although one of these will be a splurge, CSK will benefit from their services considering their recent track record.

The all-rounder targets comprise:

Player	Role
Mitchell Marsh	All-rounder
Krishnappa Gowtham	All-rounder
Daniel Sams	All-rounder
Liam Livingstone	All-rounder
Shardul Thakur	All-rounder

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Sportskeeda's predicted playing XI:

Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suresh Raina, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Mitchell Marsh, Deepak Chahar, Mitchell Santner, Kagiso Rabada, T Natarajan.