Predicting 3 bold trades by CSK in IPL Auction 2022

The mega auction ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 is almost upon us. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will look to build on their title win last season. CSK won their fourth IPL title in 2021, beating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final. Now, they need to rebuild again in the mega auction.

Each team was allowed four retentions ahead of the auction. CSK chose to keep Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Their task now is to build around the quartet with an eye on the future while also priming themselves for immediate success.

CSK will have a big pool of players to choose their targets from, after the retentions by each team and the players drafted by the two new franchises.

Both the new franchises, based out of Lucknow and Ahmedabad, respectively, will be allowed three picks apiece before the auction. Here is the full list of all the retentions made thus far:

Renowned to keep their players for long, CSK will look to buy back some of their previous stars. They include Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar.

However, they will also be targeting several other players to bolster their squad from last season, with their remaining budget of Rs 48 crore. On that note, here are three players CSK could look to target in the IPL 2022 mega auction:

---

#1 Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan was not retained by Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) shockingly didn't retain star Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan. So CSK will look to target him, if he is not picked in the pre-auction draft by one of the new franchises.

If Khan enters the auction, he wil be one of the most sought-after players, and CSK could be one of the teams gunning for him. They used one of their overseas slots for a spinner before - Imran Tahir. So Rashid Khan would a pick who will provide good value.

At 23, he has age on his side, so CSK could look to build their team around him if they manage to secure his services. Apart from his brilliance with the ball, Rashid Khan is also a decent batter in the death overs.

---

#2 Harshal Patel

Harshal Patel was the highest wicket-taker in IPL 2021.

With Dwayne Bravo probably set to play his final IPL season, who better to groom as his replacement than the man who equalled his record for most wickets in a season?

Harshal Patel had been a relatively obscure figure in the IPL until last season, when he turned on the style for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The 31-year-old took 32 wickets in 15 matches, equalling Bravo's record set in 2013.

Mainly performing as a death-bowling specialist, Patel also has a knack of breaking partnerships in the middle overs. So CSK may look to get their hands on him as an alternative to Shardul Thakur. Moreover, Patel is handy with the bat, opening the batting for Haryana in limited-over formats.

---

#3 Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer is set to be available in the IPL 2022 mega auction.

The former Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Shreyas Iyer reportedly asked to be released, and wants to go into the auction.

A rising star for India and a highly bankable anchor with the bat, Iyer could fit right into CSK's middle order. Suresh Raina is nearing the end of his playing days, and the likes of Robin Uthappa and Ambati Rayudu also do not have age on their side.

IPL 2022 is also likely to be Dhoni's farewell season, so Iyer could a good candidate to take over the reins as CSK's captain when the veteran wicketkeeper-batter hangs up his gloves.