“If CSK release him, they will free ₹16 crore, but they won’t find another player like him” - Aakash Chopra on Ravindra Jadeja quandary for Chennai

Former Indian batter Aakash Chopra reckons that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will have to make one of their toughest calls with regards to Ravindra Jadeja for the IPL 2023 season. The all-rounder had a forgettable IPL 2022 campaign with both the bat and ball.

Named as captain just a couple of days ahead of the edition, he struggled as leader, with Chennai winning only two of their eight matches under the southpaw's leadership.

He subsequently handed the captaincy back to MS Dhoni. Some media reports even claimed that Jadeja quit the bio-bubble following a rift with the management, although CSK’s official release stated that he had suffered a rib injury.

Analyzing Jadeja's situation, Chopra said on his YouTube channel that the franchise could be in two minds over whether or not to retain the star all-rounder for the next IPL season. He elaborated:

“There are serious question marks over Ravindra Jadeja. He was not available for the last few games and had even left the captaincy before that. He was retained for ₹16 crore but it seems he will not be captain next year. MS Dhoni had clearly stated that leadership was affecting him. The news from the camp is everything is okay. But whether it is, we shall find out next season. If CSK release him, they will be able to free ₹16 crore, but they won’t find another player like him.”

Jadeja featured in 10 matches during the IPL 2022 season, scoring 116 runs and claiming five wickets. He was uncharacteristically poor in the field as well, by his lofty standards, dropping quite a few straightforward catches.

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“How long will CSK stick with Dwayne Bravo?” - Aakash Chopra

Chopra agreed that veteran West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo did a good job for his franchise in IPL 2022.

However, the cricketer-turned-analyst pointed out that CSK will have to think about his place in the squad, keeping the future in mind. The 44-year-old explained:

“How long will CSK stick with Dwayne Bravo? He had another good season as a bowler. Remember, he was picked for ₹4.4 crore. Chennai might want to continue with him for one more season but he is not getting younger by the year. So that is something they will definitely have to think about.”

During the IPL 2022 season, Bravo (183 wickets) went past Lasith Malinga (170 wickets) to become the all-time leading wicket-taker in the history of the T20 league. He ended the edition with 16 wickets in 10 games at an impressive average of 18.68.