Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) should target experienced Indian bowler Harshal Patel for the next edition of the Indian Premier League. The 33-year-old was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the IPL auction 2024.
MS Dhoni-led side has a solid unit going into the next season despite letting go of the England all-rounder Ben Stokes ahead of the auction.
Before the auction, the Chennai-based franchise released two big players ahead of the auction, with Ben Stokes and Ambati Rayudu being unavailable for the team. They have a budget of 31.40 crores going into the mini-auction on December 19th.
During an interaction with Star Sports, Irfan Pathan should go after Harshal Patel in the IPL 2024 auction. He stated that a lot will depend on the fitness status of Deepak Chahar, who gets injured very often, and believes that he is a guy who might be needed by the five-time champions in Chepauk conditions.
“They have a lot of fast bowlers who can get injured regularly, guys like Deepak Chahar. They keep a lot of faith in Deepak Chahar but if he is not fit and available, they can be in a mess. So what they need – maybe a guy like Harshal Patel. Bangalore is not far from there, so just get Harshal Patel with a small ride of five hours, and just get him in CSK,” Irfan Pathan said.
Harshal Patel was one of the 11 players let go by the team. The seamer’s services were acquired by RCB for a record 10.75 crore in the 2022 auction. In 2021, he had a remarkable season with RCB, taking 32 wickets in 15 games and winning the Purple Cap at the end of the season. However, in 2023, the Right-arm pacer had an ordinary season, taking 14 wickets at a 9.66 economy rate.
Even MS Dhoni Knows That He Is Not Young Anymore – Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan believes that the Chennai Super Kings will look for a backup option for the experienced Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane in the upcoming IPL auction, as well as a replacement player for Ambati Rayudu, who retired from the game after winning the 2023 IPL title.
“Ajinkya Rahane started playing for CSK on the Wankhede pitch. That was his first game and he did really well. After that, he kept his momentum going forward. But they are aware that he is slightly restricted when it comes to slow pitches.
“So, they would want to have a backup for him as well. You need to understand that MS Dhoni is not at his peak and he used to bat at No. 8 regularly”.
“Everyone wanted MS Dhoni to bat up the order but he didn’t. Even Dhoni knows that he is not young anymore. So they definitely need a replacement for Ambati Rayudu but they need a good No. 3 batter as well,” Irfan Pathan added.
Every year, the IPL auction allows teams to fine-tune their roster in order to attain the desired results on the field. The IPL 2024 player auction will take place in Dubai on December 19 and the five-time champions will look to get their back-ups ready for the next season of the cash-rich league.
