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HomeChennai Super KingsCSK chaos: 3 possible replacements for Suresh Raina

CSK chaos: 3 possible replacements for Suresh Raina

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Last Updated on 4 years by Charbel Coorey

Suresh Raina has opted out of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League, citing certain personal reasons. The southpaw has been an irreplaceable feature of the franchise since its inception. Moreover, Chennai Super Kings is a unit that has functioned with utmost focus on stability so far.

MS Dhoni believes in keeping the core of the team intact, regardless of any external opinions that underestimate the potential of the side. Hence, they have encountered an adverse situation currently. 12 members from their camp have tested positive for COVID-19. Furthermore, the duo of Deepak Chahar and Ruturaj Gaikwad are reported to have contracted the virus too.

Now, Raina’s departure has put the think-tank in a sudden spot of bother, a situation only someone as astute, clever and seasoned as Dhoni can overcome. Here, we pitch in three names that could possibly be considered to replace Raina.

It is important to note that it will be extremely difficult to find a player that brings in the value and possesses the caliber that the 33-year-old does. Yet, it is important to ensure that the squad has formidable reinforcements up their ranks.

3. Manoj Tiwary

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The batsman from Bengal was in prolific touch in Ranji Trophy in the previous season, but unfortunately did not find any takers in the auction. Manoj Tiwary is not someone to bank on to provide a quick swashbuckling knock. But, he can be a very effective floater in the lineup, playing according to the demands of the situation.

The 34-year-old has the experience and understanding of the game to assess the crucial phases in an inning, and capitalize on them appropriately. He can tackle spin bowling brilliantly, thus potentially proving to be efficacious in the middle overs.

He shared the dressing room with Dhoni whilst playing for Rising Pune SuperGiant in IPL 2017, and scored 324 runs in 13 innings at an average of 32.40 and strike rate of 137.80.

Most importantly, he is a man in fine form and can thus be relied upon to structure a long knock if required. Maybe, it’s time for Manoj Tiwary to reunite with the skipper after sharing a profound camaraderie with him for the Pune-based franchise three years ago.

2. Dhruv Shorey

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Dhruv Shorey was released by CSK ahead of the auction. However, this might be a good time to bring the talented batsman from Delhi back into the ranks. Shorey was associated with the Chennai-based franchise in 2018 and 2019, but found it difficult to attain consistent opportunities in the playing XI.

The 28-year-old has created a reputation for himself in domestic cricket in the past few years, thus emerging as one of the better batting talents in the nation. By the first looks of it, Shorey can maneuver and pounce upon the spinners brilliantly. It is a trait that will be very effective given the venue of this year’s IPL.

More importantly though, he is familiar with the dynamics of the team, the support staff and that will make it far more convenient for Shorey to enter the squad and play regularly rather than bringing a complete outsider to the setup.

1. Vishnu Vinod

Can Vishnu Vinod provide value?

Vishnu Vinod hails from Kerala and has a pretty solid record in T20 circuit to stake his claim in the CSK side. The MS Dhoni-led franchise already has the services of Narayan Jagadeesan, who can probably play a pivotal role for the side in the coming couple of months. But, Vishnu Vinod could seriously be considered as an alternative too.

The 26-year-old has an average of 28.92 and strike rate of 136.82 in 30 T20 matches. He has notched four half-centuries amongst these games too and seems to be adept to clear the ropes at will. The likes of him and Jagadeesan or Shorey also bring in a sense of youthful exuberance to the team, something that can add another dimension to CSK’s unit.

Raina’s departure opens up space at both the top and the middle-order of sorts, considering the team might even look to open with Ambati Rayudu now to make up for the void left by Raina upfront.

Dhoni usually takes some time in settling in before attempting the high-scoring shots, so the mantle to take over the important run-scoring is up for grabs. It remains to be seen whether the side opts for an uncapped player to don this role. If they do, they have a couple of promising options to put their bets on.


So, CSK have some thinking to do, as one of the IPL’s great players has withdrawn from the tournament. All three players can offer value, and it will be interesting to see which way CSK go.

Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter today.

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Tarkesh Jha
Tarkesh Jha
Tarkesh Jha is a media professional and cricket writer who has managed social media content, public relations (PR) and marketing related content for cricketer Ajinkya Rahane and cricket presenter and stand-up comedian Vikram Sathaye. Also, Tarkesh has been featured in some leading publications such as Sportskeeda, Khel Now, firstpost.com, and cnbctv18.com

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