Sanjay Manjrekar has explained why he can see Chennai Super Kings opting against a move for Rachin Ravindra during the upcoming IPL 2024 Auction on December 19.
Rachin emerged as a standout performer in the 2023 ODI World Cup, showcasing his prowess with both bat and ball. The New Zealand all-rounder amassed an impressive 578 runs across 10 games, boasting an average of 64.22, which included three centuries and two half-centuries.
His efforts earned him the title of New Zealand’s leading run-scorer and placed him fourth overall in the tournament. Additionally, Ravindra contributed with the ball, taking five crucial wickets with his left-arm spin.
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Despite this, Rachin decided to give himself a price tag of Rs. 50 Lakhs for the upcoming auction on December 19. Many are predicting the New Zealand star to go for big money during the auction, with CSK being one of the names linked with getting him during the auction.
However, Manjrekar has explained why MS Dhoni’s side may not go for him. Speaking to Star Sports, the former cricketer said that CSK may go for him as a reserve batter but commented that the reigning IPL champions may not look to disrupt their opening combination of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway.
Manjrekar also feels that batting in the middle order would be tough for Rachin and he wouldn’t have the same impact as he had while coming in the top order during the World Cup.
“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 percent 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. If you ask me, to make the kind of impact at number four and five in the IPL for somebody like him will be tough. I don’t think they will be looking at that. They’ve got their foreign players,” said Manjrekar.
The former cricketer also feels RCB could be an interesting option for Rachin, if they decide to use Faf du Plessis in the number three spot.
“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,” said Manjrekar.