3 reasons why CSK must buy Shahrukh Khan in IPL 2024 auction

The IPL Auction for the 2024 edition of the league will take place in Dubai in less than three weeks, and the teams must be busy building their watchlist for the auction based on their respective purses and team requirements.

While the buzz is predominantly around overseas stars that shone during the ODI World Cup, like Rachin Ravindra, Travis Head, and Gerald Coetzee, there are a few Indian options that could fetch huge sums of money come December 19.

One of those players is Tamil Nadu's Shahrukh Khan, who was released by the Punjab Kings heading into the auction. Let's look at three reasons why he'd be a perfect buy for TN's very own Chennai Super Kings.

---

#3 Signing the local star will satisfy the home fans

The Indian Premier League has ten teams based in ten different cities, but the talent represented by the teams often doesn't belong to the same city or state as the franchise. In fact, lots of IPL teams have stars who come from different parts of the country, but the fans identify with them anyway.

However, most teams do have a decent amount of players from the home state in which their franchise is located, especially when it comes to the recruitment of uncapped players. One team that has disappointed fans on this front, however, is the Chennai Super Kings.

Ravichandran Ashwin and Murali Vijay were the last TN players to get regular game time for CSK, with the likes of Jagadeesan having to warm the benches for the majority of his stint.

However, by signing someone like Shahrukh Khan, who's a fan favorite courtesy of his stint for the Chepauk Super Gillies in the TNPL and the fact that he was the Tamil Nadu captain for an extended period of time, CSK could better endear themselves to an already boisterous fan base.

---

#2 Fits in with CSK's attacking batting approach

Watching Ajinkya Rahane score at strike rates in excess of 200 was a sweet surprise for fans.

As a batting unit, the CSK batters didn't waste much time in laying siege to the opposition batters, and right from Ruturaj Gaikwad's blitzes at the top to an unseen avatar of Ajinkya Rahane, the team management drilled an attacking batting approach into the players in IPL 2023.

Shahrukh is a monstrous striker of the cricket ball and is comfortable against both pace and spin. He has no qualms about going big right from ball one and fits in perfectly with the new Gung-Ho batting style CSK has adopted.

Considering that even conservative stroke-makers like Rahane and Rayudu have taken to CSK's attacking batting approach well, one can only imagine the carnage a hitter like Shahrukh can unleash.

---

#1 Could become CSK's future finisher while also filling the Ambati Rayudu void in the team

Ambati Rayudu was predominantly used as a floater in the last couple of seasons, and while he has played many memorable knocks for CSK in the past, he couldn't quite replicate it in IPL 2023, and after he announced his retirement, he was released ahead of the auction.

Shahrukh Khan is a top-quality Indian batting option who can take Rayudu's place in the side and arguably perform even better at that role.

He's capable of batting anywhere in the middle order and is a proven finisher. This could well be MS Dhoni's final season in the IPL, and Shahrukh could be CSK's future finisher for years to come.