3 holes CSK might struggle to fill at the IPL 2025 auction ft. MS Dhoni's WK successor

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are in need of a productive 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. After missing out on the playoffs in their first season under Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Men in Yellow need to build a meaningful squad for the next auction cycle.

The Super Kings have retained five players - Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana and MS Dhoni. With ₹55 crore in their purse and one RTM card in their hands, they have plenty of work to do on November 24 and 25 in Saudi Arabia.

Mega-auction dynamics are always tough to assess, given the number of variables in play. On that note, here are three holes CSK might struggle to fill at the IPL 2025 auction.

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#3 CSK need a wicket-keeping backup for MS Dhoni

IPL - Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings - Source: Getty

MS Dhoni will play another IPL season, but it's clear that he's nearing the end of his career. And CSK have virtually no clear-cut backups for his wicket-keeping successor.

The Super Kings will need to find one at the auction. Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan are likely to be out of their budget, leaving Jitesh Sharma as the only viable capped option. Others like Urvil Patel, Harvik Desai and G Ajitesh are in the mix, but taking over from Dhoni is a big task that is best reserved for players who are already established.

While there are a few rumors linking CSK to Pant, they don't have much of a purse left to splurge on the southpaw after their retentions. It'll be interesting to see how they attempt to bridge this gap.

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#2 The Super Kings need someone in the middle order who can hit both pace and spin

Rajasthan Royals v Chennai - Super Kings IPL 2023 T20 - Source: Getty

In the 2023 campaign, pairing pace-hitters and spin-hitters in the middle order worked wonders for CSK. Ajinkya Rahane had a sensational campaign smashing pace, while Shivam Dube plundered runs against the spinners at the other end.

In IPL 2024, though, this strategy was exposed. Oppositions found it too easy to target the middle-order batters with their negative matchups, leaving the Super Kings well below an ideal score on several occasions.

Chennai need to find a middle-order batter who can counter both pace and spin to take pressure off Dube at the other end. The likes of Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook, Glenn Phillips and Aiden Markram are all good players, but whether they can hit spin, particularly at Chepauk, is a question that needs to be asked.

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#1 CSK might finally need to find a reliable wrist-spinner

Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians - Source: Getty

MS Dhoni has never been a staunch advocate of having a wrist-spinner in the side, but that might change under Gaikwad. With CSK playing on spin-friendly venues at home, using a leggie will significantly improve their chances of winning.

Chennai should ideally look to target one among Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Mayank Markande and Suyash Sharma. There is the option of scouting a leg-spinner who hasn't made a name for himself in the IPL, but the five-time champions generally don't like going down that route.

When it comes to signing one of the above five, there are a few issues. Chahal might be out of their budget and isn't the most reliable T20 bowler, while Chahar hasn't been in the best form lately. Suyash, meanwhile, has clear work to do on his length control.

CSK might not be able to find a wrist-spinner who can turn games around for them, both home and away.