MS Dhoni, CSK skipper, and Stephen Fleming, coach of Chennai Super Kings will not be present in the city Chennai for the IPL 2021 auction which will take place on the 18th of February. Instead, they will stay connected with the team management virtually.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be without the services of their captain MS Dhoni and head coach Stephen Fleming during the IPL 2021 auction. Although MS Dhoni hasn’t attended any of the IPL auctions, he was expected to make his presence felt as he has now retired from international cricket on 15th August 2020. Moreover, the event takes place in Chennai, which is the home of the Yellow Army.
MS Dhoni And Stephen Fleming Not Coming To Chennai For IPL Auctions
While speaking to InsideSport, Kashi Vishwanath, CSK’s CEO, confirmed that the duo would stay connected via digital mediums.
“They (Fleming and Dhoni) are not coming to Chennai for IPL Auctions but in today’s time, there are so many mediums to stay connected. They will be with us digitally,” he told InsideSport.
Stephen Fleming, a regular to IPL auctions, will also remain absent due to protocols and restrictions. He lives in New Zealand and would have been asked to serve a mandatory quarantine period upon arriving in India.
MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming mostly decides the team combination and have a big responsibility on their shoulders to carry CSK forward in the next IPLs as CSK finished at the 7th spot in IPL 2020. It was for the first time when they could not qualify for the second round-the playoffs.
Unlike CSK, RCB Will Be Bolstered With The Presence Of Mike Hesson
Unlike CSK who will be without the services of their decision-makers, Royal Challengers Bangalore will be bolstered with the presence of Mike Hesson, their director of cricket. He reached India earlier this month and has completed his quarantine. As per Cricbuzz, those attending the IPL 2021 auction will be tested for COVID-19 and will be allowed to attend the event after they test negative.
Going into the auction, CSK has a purse of Rs 19.9 crore. They released Kedar Jadhav, Harbhajan Singh, Shane Watson (retired), Piyush Chawla, Murali Vijay, and Monu Singh. The three-time IPL champions roped in Robin Uthappa from Rajasthan Royals. He had joined the franchise for Rs 3 Crore in IPL 2020 auction. It was an all-cash deal and CSK paid the same amount to RR.