As there is just one day remaining for the most-awaited auction, the cricket fans are going gaga over the upcoming Indian T20 League 2020 auction. Historically, Chennai is one of the most sought-after teams in the Indian T20 League. The strength of the team has always been the experienced players and their ability to win games from improbable situations. Since the beginning of this league, Chennai team has been one of the best strategic and stable sides in the auction and let’s see what this year’s auction has in store for Chennai.
Here we take a deep dive into how this franchise can incorporate good strategies to pick potential candidates and attain their #WhistlePodu squad.
First, take a look at their current scenario:
Purse: INR 14.6 cr | Slots: 5 (Domestic: 3, Overseas: 2)
Existing squad: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, M Vijay, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo, Kedar Jadhav, Lungi Ngidi, Ravindra Jadeja, Mitchell Santner, Monu Kumar, N Jagadeesan, Harbhajan Singh, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, KM Asif
2019 Performance Preview
After serving two-year suspension for being involved in the spot-fixing, Chennai made a smashing comeback last year. The team has clinched victory three times and mustered runner-ups spot four times. They didn't participate in any trades and only let go of five squad players before the auction. The major drawback of the team in the last edition of this league was their bowling unit’s poor performance and that’s one department where Chennai team would like to focus. They have managed to reach the finals eight times in ten attempts.
Released Players
Mohit Sharma, Sam Billings, David Willey, Scott Kuggeleijn, Dhruv Shorey and Chaitanya Bishnoi
Area of concern
- Under-performing middle order.
- Death bowling is a major concern. Though bowling department looks strong but a back-up is needed for Lungi Ngidi, who is still under the injury cloud.
- Requirement of an overseas top-order batsman.
- The team lacks an aggressor. Even opener Shane Watson has not played T20 since the last season. So,a potential long-term replacement for Watson is required.
Also Read: INDIAN T20 LEAGUE AUCTION 2020: STRATEGIES FOR PUNJAB
Key players to look out for
Overseas Players
Tom Banton, Shah Rukh Khan, Chris Lynn or Jason Roy, Ashton Turner, Shimron Hetmeyer, Aaron Finch
Indian Players
Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakravarthy, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur
Men in Yellow aim to lift the trophy next year with their best squad. The three-time champion are in desperate need of hard-hitting all-rounders to tear apart the opponent bowlers. Team Chennai is one of the most balanced sides with most bases covered and they are known for their knack of picking right players, as evident from the purchase of Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis in the 2018 auction. Hopefully, this auction will witness some of the best picks that makes Chennai team indestructible.
