Chennai Super Kings selected Ravindra Jadeja as their first pick for retention ahead of the mega auction, paying him Rs 16 crore.
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Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Robin Uthappa believes that skipper MS Dhoni would have personally taken the decision to be retained as the 2nd pick ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 auction. Uthappa said Dhoni understands the value of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja who was retained for Rs 16 crore, having been the top pick in Tuesday’s retention process.
“I am sure that is MS Dhoni’s doing itself. He knows the value that Jadeja has to the unit. I think from what I understand, Jadeja might be someone who could end up leading the squad in the future as well when MS Dhoni retires. They have given him the due he deserved,” Uthappa said in an interaction with Star Sports.
Parthiv Patel stated that Jadeja might be considered as the next CSK captain by the franchise.
“He is the guy whom they are investing in to be the next captain. Has been terrific as a player. He has done well in Test cricket, we have seen him batting at No. 6 in ODI cricket as well. So I would like to see him take that responsibility. So I think Ravindra Jadeja will take over as captain once MS Dhoni decides not to play,” he said.
CSK bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji stated that MS Dhoni will remain the heart and soul of the franchise.
“Jadeja is a proven CSK performer. What he has done in the recent past with the bat and the ball has been phenomenal. Moeen actually balances the team with the off-spin part and a left-hander in the top-order. We are very happy to retain Rutu as well. There is no doubt about his ability. Nobody else can replace MS Dhoni. For me, he is my captain always. He is the heart and soul of the franchise. Fans as well expect to see him. There is a long way to go as well but of course, MS is my captain,” he said as quoted by India Today.
Balaji admitted it was difficult to not retain the likes of Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu and Dwayne Bravo.
“We always believe that the family environment extends to on-field performances. So it’s very hard to leave out established players like Faf du Plessis. He has been brilliant. It’s an emotional as well as a hard decision. The likes of Rayudu — he has been phenomenal. Dwayne Bravo has been a brand, one of the major entertainers. It’s tough to leave these guys out but we had to do it,” he added.
Each of the eight franchises used the Player Retention option with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Delhi Capitals (DC), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Mumbai Indians (MI) opting to retain 4 players each. Rajasthan Royals (RR), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have retained 3 players each while Punjab Kings (PBKS) have retained 2. The PBKS thus have the highest salary purse available with INR 72 crore while Delhi Capitals have least at INR 47.50 to be used at the mega auction.
