IPL 2021 Auction: Gautam Gambhir throws light on how CSK can polish their shortcomings

The IPL 2021 Auction is all set to take place in two days in Chennai. It is a known fact that MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings had a terrible run in the IPL 2020 season where they couldn’t qualify for playoffs for the first time in their history of IPL. CSK suffered big time with their middle-order woes, and things couldn’t settle for them till the very end.
In the same line, former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir has analyzed how CSK can cover up their loopholes in the upcoming auction of IPL on February 18. Gambhir added that there is much talk about CSK only because they have set their image like that, and not qualifying for playoffs is looking like a big thing for them. The addition of Suresh Raina will be a plus for them this time, he reckoned.

There are not going to be too many changes for CSK, to be honest: Gambhir

“Most importantly, I think they need to have a replacement straightaway for Shane Watson because obviously, that is one area. Plus, they didn’t have Suresh Raina last time around. So, Suresh Raina will be available. We are only talking about CSK because they haven’t qualified for the first time in the playoffs. That’s why there’s so much of talk and that’s when you’re playing away from home, and your strength of the squad has always been built around the conditions you got to cater to – that’s Chepauk where it’s going to start spinning and gripping. That’s how MS plays his cricket over such a long period whenever he has captained the Chennai Super Kings.

So yes, he might look at an off-spinner because Harbhajan Singh has been released, Shane Watson, and probably another all-rounder or a backup for someone like Dwayne Bravo, because probably age is catching up on him as well. He’s not the same what he used to be. So, probably there could be an all-rounder and plus an overseas batter because there are two overseas batters normally who open for CSK. There are not going to be too many changes, to be honest. Most importantly, they should have a smaller squad, because this is only an auction for one season. After this season, there’s going to be a bigger auction. So, I don’t think CSK will have an overall revamp,” he stated while speaking on Star Sports show CRICKET CONNECTED.