They need to move beyond their ageing stars: Anil Kumble on CSK trading out Ravindra Jadeja

New Delhi: Former India cricketer Anil Kumble discussed Chennai Super Kings’ strategy behind trading Ravindra Jadeja to the Rajasthan Royals and expressed his surprise at their decision while also questioning if the all-rounder would be given the captaincy at his new franchise.

Speaking on the IPL Retention Show on JioStar, Kumble talked about how CSK’s rebuilding strategy after Jadeja’s departure, saying, “CSK will likely build their batting core around captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube in the top six. They need to move beyond their ageing stars, as shown by the trade move of Ravindra Jadeja to Rajasthan Royals.”

“Their bowling needs strengthening after releasing Pathirana. Nathan Ellis becomes crucial as their overseas fast bowler, with Noor Ahmed as the wrist spinner. They still require an Indian spinner to replace Jadeja and more Indian fast bowlers alongside Khaleel Ahmed. Another overseas fast bowler would also help balance their attack,” he added.

Kumble also shared that he was happy to see Ruturaj Gaikwad back at the helm after missing the previous edition of the tournament, and suggested he continue as the opening batter to provide the team with the required stability.

“It’s great to see Ruturaj Gaikwad back as captain of the Chennai Super Kings after his injury last season. My clear advice to him is to open the batting himself. While they have Sanju Samson and the promising Ayush Mhatre, Ruturaj is best suited as an opener for CSK. His leadership and batting at the top will provide the stability the team needs,” Kumble said.

Kumble discussed Ravindra Jadeja’s transfer to the Rajasthan Royals and the team’s potential for considering him as a captaincy candidate, stating, “Jadeja returning to Rajasthan Royals is a big move. Generally, CSK doesn’t let go of their players, especially someone of Jadeja’s quality who has had a long relationship with them. I was surprised they let him go. Meanwhile, Sanju Samson coming to CSK is certainly a great move for them.”

“Interestingly, Jadeja has also taken a pay cut from 18 crore to 14 crore. The big question is about captaincy – could Rajasthan offer it to Jadeja? They need to find a new captain. They have several options – Riyan Parag led them in a couple of matches last season, Yashasvi Jaiswal has always harbored captaincy dreams, young Dhruv Jurel has the right temperament, and there’s overseas option Sam Curran. So Ravindra Jadeja becomes another interesting possibility for their leadership role.”

CSK’s decision to release Matheesha Pathirana, Devon Conway, and Rachin Ravindra, along with trading Jadeja to RR, indicates a significant team rebuild for the upcoming IPL auction. Former cricketer Saba Karim also discussed CSK’s retention approach and expressed shock at the five-time champions releasing their ace pacer Matheesha Pathirana.

“I was very surprised by CSK’s move to release Pathirana. They invested heavily in him, mentored him, and he delivered for them many times. He plays in global T20 leagues and has a good experience of bowling against top batters. Though he didn’t end last season strongly, he’s a young talent they could have worked with more. Releasing Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra was expected after their poor season, but now CSK must rebuild their entire squad and playing eleven since all three released players were regulars in their team,” Karim said.

On CSK’s choice to support Gaikwad as the captain and their auction process strategy, Karim added, “Confirming Ruturaj Gaikwad as the captain after announcing the retention list is a very smart move. The whole idea was to get rid of all the speculation about Sanju Samson captaining the side. They have made it very clear they have faith in Ruturaj Gaikwad’s leadership skills and should give him a couple of years to build the side.”

Sharing his thoughts on what the team needs to look into heading into the auction, Karim stated, “Their top order is sorted to some extent. What they actually need now is to invest heavily in good spin attacking options who can take wickets. Except for Noor Ahmad, I don’t see anybody in the squad for that role. With Nathan Ellis in the lineup, it’s more important for them to sort their spin combination, especially on Chennai’s surfaces. And as Anil (Kumble) said, maybe another seam bowler who can pick up wickets would complete the squad.”

IANS