Chennai Super Kings signed Ajinkya Rahane at IPL 2023 Auctions at his base price. The veteran had a disappointing campaign last season and hence, not many franchises were interested. Moreover, he has had issues against spin and at a spin-friendly track like at the Chepauk, he was always going to be vulnerable. Hence, it was a bit surprising that CSK went for the player. If they had invested a bit more or even less in some other players, CSK could have got their hands on more useful players to the squad considering the current combination. On that note, here, we take a look at three players CSK could have picked instead of Ajinkya Rahane.
1) KS Bharat
KS Bharat is one of the players CSK could have picked instead of Ajinkya Rahane for IPL 2023. Not many know that KS Bharat plays club cricket in Chennai and knows Chepauk very well.
He is a good player of spin, as shown during his stint with RCB. Moreover, he is a solid wicket-keeper and would be a good option to have since MS Dhoni’s future is uncertain. In IPL 2023, Bharat will play for the Gujarat Titans.
2) N Jagadeesan
N Jagadeesan was released by CSK and after that, he hit peak form in ODIs. He also showed his big-hitting skills in the first game of the Ranji Trophy.
Considering he is a localite, had CSK invested some more money, they could have got the player. He would have also been the ideal backup for Ruturaj Gaikwad.
3) Samarth Vyas
Samarth Vyas is also one of the players CSK could have picked instead of Ajinkya Rahane. The Saurashtra batter has been in top form and interestingly, no other team disturbed Sunsrisers Hyderabad when they picked the player.
Apart from average, Samarth’s strike rate is also good. Ruturaj Gaikwad does not have a proven backup in the squad right now. Vyas would have been a better fit for that role than Ajinkya Rahane.
