Ambati Rayudu's hole in Chennai Super Kings' batting lineup shall be a big one to fill as the star Indian batter has played some crucial knocks for them. Rayudu, who joined CSK in 2018, has scored over 1900 runs for the MS Dhoni-led side in six seasons but has now retired. As all 10 teams head into the auctions ahead of the IPL 2024 season, the Super Kings will have a task at their hands to find a suitable replacement for Rayudu.
CSK have released eight players from their squad including the likes of Ambati Rayudu (retired) and Ben Stokes (pulled out) while announcing their IPL retention list last week. They would be gunning for a replacement for Rayudu and Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has opened up on a potential pick for the yellow army.
While many expected Manish Pandey to be a potential pick for the five-time IPL champions, Ashwin believes Karun Nair is the man who can be a perfect replacement for Rayudu. "I have a feeling that they will invest it in Karun Nair. They are searching for a replacement for Ambati Rayudu. Shahrukh is not a replacement for him at No.4. I have no idea who they are going to play in that position this season. They might try a left-hand option but if you look at CSK's track record, they have never gone for an unknown commodity. They have never played anybody who just did well in their first season of Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. So Karun Nair, folks, brace yourself to see him in yellow. I am not committing to anything, just doing a little Ravi Shastri impression," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Nair has a triple hundred in Chennai
Ashwin further weighed in for Nair stating that the out-of-favour Indian star has a century in a Test match played in Chennai and he plays spin well. "He is somebody who can play spin well, who could sweep and reverse sweep. MS Dhoni loves it when there is a batter who can play between the top order and the middle order in the No.4 slot, especially in Chennai. I feel Karun Nair is perfect for that. I haven't really seen Manish Pandey play spin too much in Chennai but Karun Nair, remember has a triple hundred in a Test match played in Chennai," Ashwin added.
