IPL 2024 Auction: Sanjay Manjrekar explains why Chennai Super Kings might not target Rachin Ravindra

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar said that it was unlikely defending Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will pursue New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra in the upcoming IPL 2024 auction.

Ravindra has a base price of ₹50 lakh, and after a stunning World Cup, the 24-year-old could attract a bidding war. In the 2023 World Cup, he finished as the fourth-leading run-scorer with 578 runs at an average exceeding 64 and with a strike rate of 106.22. This effort included three centuries and two half-centuries.

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Manjrekar, however, believed that Ravindra might not fit in with CSK’s requirement for a replacement for the retired Ambati Rayudu. He was speaking with Star Sports after the first India vs South Africa ODI.

“As a reserve batter, if it doesn’t cost too much after seeing how the auction goes. But I don’t see Mahendra Singh Dhoni changing his opening combination because they got virtually 80 per cent of their runs from there. Batting in the middle order in the IPL will be tough for a guy like Rachin. He had to be in the top three and top two,” Manjrekar said.

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Manjrekar also believed that Ravindra might find it challenging to be as effective at number four and five in the IPL and hence, suggested that CSK might not be actively considering this option, given their existing foreign players. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway open for CSK and have had been superb in the IPL.

It needs to be mentioned here that CSK released Ben Stokes and seven other players to create a purse of ₹32.1 crore for the upcoming auction. Manjrekar believed that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) could be one of the sides that could target Ravindra, proposing a shift of skipper Faf du Plessis to No 3 in the batting order.

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Ravindra was quite good at the Chinnaswamy Stadium during the 2023 World Cup and the conditions on offer at the venue could suit his style of play.

“RCB. If they decide to Faf du Plessis can bat at number three, then they have Rachin Ravindra and Virat Kohli. That’s something they could do,” Manjrekar added.