CSK might need a spinner now because Ravi Ashwin has left: Aakash Chopra

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has stated that the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise would need to rope in an in-form spinner in the IPL 2026 mini-auction after the retirement of Ravi Ashwin from the cash-rich league.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra asserted that CSK will not be able to manage things with only Jadeja (if retained) and Noor Ahmad in the XI, adding that they might need more spinners on the Chepauk wicket. 

"They might need a spinner now because Ashwin has left. So you will have to get someone in his place because you will not be able to manage with Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmad. You will need more spinners," Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

"Matheesha Pathirana's stocks have gone slightly down, but Khaleel Ahmed's have gone up. They have Anshul Kamboj, Nathan Ellis and Mukesh Choudhary as well. So they have bowlers, but you may want to add a bit more to that as well," he stated.

Furthermore, Chopra also reckoned that CSK would require one or two good batters for the middle-order in the mini-auction. If CSK manages to release Devon Conway ahead of the auction, Chopra asserted that they might require a decent enough replacement among overseas players.

"With Ruturaj (Gaikwad) returning, opening and captaincy get set. There isn't much to think about there. However, if you let Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar and Devon Conway go, although you have Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja in the lower-middle order, you still need one, if not two, fairly good batters, in which you need one or two overseas ones as well," he observed.

"When I see their overseas recruits, especially in terms of batting, Dewald Brevis, yes, but what about the rest? Only Rachin Ravindra is there, who can play as a proper batter. Then you see bowlers. They have Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton and Sam Curran. None of them is a batter. If you release Devon Conway, you need another batter," he concluded.

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