Pune opt for MS Dhoni as first pick, Rajkot get hometown favourite Ravindra Jadeja

After much deliberation and discussion, the Pune IPL franchise went for India’s ODI and T20 captain MS Dhoni as their first pick, while Rajkot opted for IPL’s leading run scorer Suresh Raina as their first-choice in the IPL draft held in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Joining Dhoni in the Pune franchise is two of his international teammates, who have had a wonderful 2015, in Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin. While the last two picks for the franchise were two international skippers.

Australian captain Steven Smith, who previously played for the Pune Warriors before they were disbanded and South Africa’s T20 captain Faf du Plessis, who was a teammate of Dhoni and Ashwin at Chennai Super Kings.

Rajkot, who opted for Raina first, then got themselves three of T20’s finest all-rounders at the moment, along with New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum. While the franchise’s second pick was local boy Ravindra Jadeja, who impressed in the recently concluded India-South Africa series, the fourth and fifth picks were international all-rounders.

Australian all-rounder James Faulkner and West Indies’ Dwayne Bravo, will join three former CSK players in the Rajkot franchise.

Teams Pune's picks from the vivo #IPLdraft - MS Dhoni, Ajinkya Rahane, R Ashwin, Steve Smith, Faf du Plessis

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 15, 2015

Team Rajkot's picks from the vivo #IPLdraft - Suresh Raina, R Jadeja, Brendon McCullum, James Faulkner, Dwayne Bravo

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) December 15, 2015