IPL 2021: 3 CSK players who need to play well to be retained

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) appear to have overcome a horror 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) and are firmly on track to qualify for the playoffs in the 2021 season. With uncertainty looming around legendary captain MS Dhoni's future with the franchise and an influx of new talent since the previous season, the CSK squad in 2022 is set to look very different from what they assembled in 2018.

Given the postponed second half of the tournament, there is very little cricket scheduled to be played between the IPL and the deadline for retentions before the mega-auctions in December 2021. Thus, a large part of the decision for retention will be decided based on the matches in the second leg of the IPL. There is uncertainty regarding the number of retentions allowed, although it is unlikely to be higher than four per franchise.

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IPL 2022: Who will CSK probably retain?

Given MS Dhoni's age and lack of other cricketing commitments, he may not be seen as an option for the franchise going forward - although surprises are indeed his currency.

Whether or not the skipper is retained, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja looks primed to be the first name on the CSK team sheet in 2022, with his gamut of skills in all three departments a must-have for the franchise.

One of the biggest reasons for CSK's upturn in fortunes has been the arrival of Moeen Ali as a No. 3 batsman and off-spinner, performing the role previously earmarked for Suresh Raina to perfection. In all likelihood, the Birmingham Phoenix skipper will get the nod as well.

Here are three CSK players who will have to prove a point to be included among the retained names.

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#3 Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad could be seen as a long-term opening option for CSK.

One of the unfortunate targets of MS Dhoni's infamous "spark" comment back in 2020, Ruturaj Gaikwad has shown his worth as a batsman. After CSK was out of contention for the IPL 2020 playoffs, the youngster stitched together three consecutive fifties to end the season on a personal high. In IPL 2021, he started well with two fifty-plus scores, and even made his India debut against Sri Lanka later in the year.

However, an average of 28 and strike rate below 130 do not really make a statement yet, and the Maharashtra batsman needs to win some games for his team this season. With age and an attractive technique on his side, Gaikwad has a shot at being a long-term investment for the three-time IPL champions.

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#2 Sam Curran

Sam Curran was one of CSK's best players in 2020.

In a woeful IPL 2020 campaign, Sam Curran was the brightest star by a distance. Bought by CSK for INR 5.5 crore, Curran hauled up both the CSK batting and bowling, even getting promoted to the role of an opener for a brief while. Largely limited by some muddled thinking by the CSK management and ball-guzzling by the middle order, Curran still did well whenever he got to bat or was thrown the ball.

Largely due to the upswing in CSK's batting returns, Curran's role with the bat has been restricted to merely 25 balls in the first leg. With the ball, he is still an asset for CSK, with 9 wickets from 7 games.

However, Curran has to perform better to fill what could be the lone slot available for a foreign player, and push out Moeen and Faf du Plessis to get there.

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#1 Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina's absence was believed to be a key reason for CSK's IPL 2020 slip-up.

For a franchise that has supported its icon players through lean patches, it could be blasphemous to suggest that Suresh Raina might not be retained. However, "Chinna Thala", as he is known by fans, has slowly receded in importance for the franchise. After opting out of the 2020 season, he has been overshadowed by Moeen Ali with both bat and ball in IPL 2021, and his own returns have been middling.

One must remember that Raina is among the highest run-getters in IPL history, has won three titles with the franchise and still has all his shots. With age not on his side, though, Raina must truly lift the franchise with his performances in the remainder of IPL 2021 to justify retention for the next season.