IPL Mega Auction 2022: Chennai Super Kings retain Bravo and Uthappa

IPL CSK Team 2022 Players List: One of the reasons why Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are one of the most successful teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the years is because they relied on their core players. The retention of a core group over the years had served them wonderfully well.

This time, though, as the 15th season of the IPL will have a mega auction in Bangalore on February 12 and 13, with two new teams, the fight is expected to be very intense.

CSK has decided to retain their longstanding captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the next three IPL seasons. Apart from Dhoni (Rs 12 crore), the franchise has retained all-rounder duo Ravindra Jadeja (Rs 16 crore), Moeen Ali (Rs 8 crore) and opener Ruturaj Gaikwad (Rs 6 crore), who played crucial roles as CSK won the 2021 IPL title.

With Rs 48 crores in their purse, here are 5 players that CSK must try to get in the auction:

Faf du Plessis (Base price: Rs 2 crore): The former South African captain Faf Du Plessis is most likely going to don the yellow jersey again for the next three IPL seasons. The 37-year-old has played 100 games in his IPl career, scoring 2935 runs, with a healthy strike rate of 131.08, including 22 half-centuries.

Faf du Plessis (PTI)

Deepak Chahar (Base Price: Rs 2 crore): Deepak Chahar had a breakthrough 2018 IPL season with CSK, taking 10 wickets in 12 matches. He was then subsequently rewarded with an India call-up in limited-overs cricket. Chahar has bagged 59 wickets in 63 matches and has been a go-to man for MS Dhoni.

Deepak Chahar. (Screenshot)

Dwayne Bravo (Base Price: Rs 2 crore): After plying his skills for the Mumbai Indians in the first three seasons, Bravo was taken up by the CSK ahead of the 2011 IPL. The 38-year-old Bravo has been an integral part of the CSK team for years now. The all-rounder has 167 scalps and 1537 runs in 151 IPL matches.

Dwayne Bravo. (Sportzpics for IPL)

Shardul Thakur (Base Price: Rs 2 crore): CSK might have to go all guns blazing to bring Shardul Thakur back in the ‘whistle podu’ den. The 30-year-old doesn’t hesitate to call himself a genuine all-rounder. The way he has performed in the last few months, Thakur has become a player on whom most of the teams will go berserk. Thakur has 67 IPL wickets in 61 games.

Shardul Thakur (FILE)

Suresh Raina (Base Price: Rs 2 crore): Suresh Raina, 34, can be called Mr IPL. He is one of the most successful batter with 5,528 runs from 205 matches in the tournament. He has retired from international cricket, but the four-time IPL champions still consider him an important cog in their wheel. Suresh Raina is fondly called as ‘Chinna Thala’ by CSK fans while MS Dhoni is revered as ‘Thala’ in the IPL. ‘Thala’ and ‘Chinna Thala’, it’s something like Jai and Veeru from Sholay.

Suresh Raina (Source: IPL)