"It's good you didn't get him" - Aakash Chopra on CSK going after Travis Head in the IPL 2024 auction

Aakash Chopra believes the Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) inability to acquire Travis Head in the IPL 2024 auction was a blessing in disguise.

The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) outbid CSK to buy the destructive Australian opener for ₹6.80 crore. The defending champions then spent just ₹5.80 crore combined to purchase Rachin Ravindra and Shardul Thakur as their first two acquisitions at the auction.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that missing out on Head was a boon for the Chennai Super Kings. He explained (1:55):

"This team was going towards Travis Head. We were slightly surprised. They might have been trying to keep him as Moeen Ali's replacement (backup). If you ask me personally, he wasn't of any use. He couldn't have been a like-for-like replacement for Moeen Ali."

The former India opener added:

"Devon Conway opens, Travis Head also opens. Travis Head wouldn't have scored runs as soon as you would have sent him in the middle order. So it's good you didn't get him. Hyderabad took him and they (CSK) got Rachin Ravindra in place of him for just 1.80 crores."

Chopra claimed Rachin Ravindra is a proper backup for Devon Conway. He added that the five-time champions wouldn't even need to play Mitchell Santner on spin-friendly surfaces if they include Ravindra in the XI at Conway's expense.

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"Shardul Thakur in four crores is an absolute steal" - Aakash Chopra on CSK's acquisition of Indian all-rounder

CSK outbid SRH to acquire Shardul Thakur. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra reckons the Chennai Super Kings were lucky to get Shardul Thakur relatively cheaply. He elaborated (1:05):

"As I said about Mumbai, Chennai also I think got lucky. Shardul Thakur in four crores is an absolute steal. In my opinion, people should have saved 10-14 crores for Lord, which Harshal Patel eventually got. Only three or four capped Indian fast bowlers were available."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the seam-bowling all-rounder's ₹10.75 crore acquisition by the Delhi Capitals in the IPL 2022 auction and subsequent trade to the Kolkata Knight Riders shows his worth. He said:

"One was Umesh Yadav, who went for 5.80 crores, and then Harshal Patel went expensive. Even Shivman Mavi went expensive but Shardul Thakur didn't. He is not a part of India's T20I scheme of things, but when 10.75 crore rupees were given by Delhi and then he shifted from there last year, it means the player has value."

Shardul was bothered by injuries in IPL 2023, picking up just seven wickets at an economy rate of 10.48 in the 21 overs he bowled in 11 games. He has accounted for 89 dismissals at a slightly below-par economy rate of 9.16 in the 86 games he has played in his IPL career.