IPL 2021: Gautam Gambhir thinks CSK will miss out on the playoffs this year

Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir feels the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will fail to make it into the playoffs in IPL 2021. During a recent interview, the retired opener predicted CSK would finish at the No.5 position in the table this season.

Aakash Chopra and Sanjay Manjrekar were also of a similar opinion and felt that the Super Kings wouldn't make it to the top-four.

"They might do a little better than what they did last season, but qualification might still be a little too far away," Aakash Chopra told ESPNCricinfo.

Ian Bishop, meanwhile, is the only one who thinks the Chennai Super Kings will make it to the playoffs. He predicted that the team would finish at the No.4 position at the end of the league stage games.

Gautam Gambhir was impressed with CSK's strategy at the IPL 2021 Auction

After the IPL 2021 Auction, Gautam Gambhir was all praise for CSK and called it their best auction in the history of the tournament so far. At the time, Gambhir was impressed that the CSK management didn't try to do too much after a poor IPL 2020 and struck to their strengths.

“Where is the revamp? Probably other teams needed to have more revamp than the CSK. It was the worst season they had, as everyone was talking about because they couldn’t qualify for the playoffs. But they go into the auction and buy 3 players, and sit happily, in what I think is the best auction they have had till now, as compared to the other side. This is how you build a side, this is how you build a legacy over a long period of time,” Gautam Gambhir told Star Sports.

The former KKR star mentioned it was a smart move from CSK to refrain from buying Australia's Glenn Maxwell at a high price.

“They initially went really hard for Glenn Maxwell, but later in that same price, they have got K Gowtham and Moeen Ali. So when you can get two players at the price of one. I know people may say that they have only bought 3 players till now, but for me, this is the best auction that CSK have had," Gautam Gambhir added.

The Chennai Super Kings will play their first game of the season against the Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 10 in Mumbai.