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Cricket Players'CSK should build their team around him': Michael Vaughan picks Ravindra Jadeja as MS Dhoni's successor
Michael Vaughan said Ravindra Jadeja, who can bat in the top four, and also open the bowling depending on the opposition, is ready to take over the mantle of CSK once MS Dhoni decides not to play the IPL any more.
Who will replace MS Dhoni as the Chennai Super Kings captain after the legendary cricketer does decide to hang his boots? CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan may have indicated that Dhoni might play the IPL for another season but the question still looms large in every cricket fans’ mind. Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes Ravindra Jadeja should be the cricketer that CSK should ‘build their team around’ after Dhoni bids adieu.
Jadeja, who took four catches and also turned the game towards CSK by picking up two important wickets – Jos Buttler and Shivam Dube - against Rajasthan Royals in the IPL 2021 match in Mumbai on Monday, has been an integral part of the CSK set-up since 2012 IPL.
Vaughan said Jadeja’s all-round abilities make him the front-runner to be Dhoni's successor in CSK.
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“You may say that Dhoni will play for 2-3 more years but let’s be honest, he’s not gonna play a great deal after that. So you’ve got to start looking at who you can build a team around and to me, Ravindra Jadeja is the kind of cricketer that I would build my team around. I just think he’s that good with the ball, in the field, with the bat in hand, his mindset, his mentality is very good,” said Vaughan on Cricbuzz.
Vaughan said, Jadeja, who can bat in the top four, and also open the bowling depending on the opposition, is ready to take over the mantle of CSK.
“Jadeja for me is the kind of player to whom you can say ‘You’re gonna bat at No.4 or 5, get in there early. We might even open the bowling with you, depending on who is batting We’ll put you in key fielding positions.’ He is ready for that. I think he is that good a cricketer,” Vaughan said.
England’s Sam Curran has been a consistent performer for CSK ever since he came into the side in IPL 2020. Vaughan said there were talks that CSK might think about building a team around Curran after Dhoni’s retirement but the England all-rounder is too young and inexperienced for the big challenge.
“We were talking the other that are they (CSK) trying to build a team around Sam Curran but I think Sam’s too young and he’s not quite ready for that kind of mantle yet. 4-5 years down the line maybe but I think Sam Curran’s a better cricketer when he is under the radar. Just let him be. Don’t need to put too much pressure on him, he’ll deliver,” Vaughan said.
After going down to last year’s runner-up Delhi Capitals in their opening match of this year’s IPL, CSK made a strong comeback with back-to-back resounding victories against Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals.
CSK are currently at No.2 in the points table behind RCB, who are the only side to win all three of their matches this year.
