IPL 2022: 5 Tamil Nadu players CSK can target in the mega auction

The eyes of all cricket fanatics shall be glued to the screen in the second week of February as a new age of Indian Premier League (IPL) unfolds with new teams, as well as new squads.

The existence of limited-over domestic tournaments and leagues like the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) has thrown some of the emerging stars of domestic cricket into the limelight.

Tamil Nadu has been one of the teams to beat whenever they’ve entered any tournament, courtesy of the quality players they shelter. With the mega auction in line, CSK will look to exploit this talent and acquire local players who can help defend the trophy this year.

Let’s look at five Tamil Nadu players whom the home franchise CSK can target in the 2022 IPL mega auction

1. Ravi Ashwin

If you were to ask for the Indian flavour of the year, do not be surprised if you receive an Ashwin.

An established star of the red-ball format, the off-spinner has emerged as a deadly weapon for the Indian limited-overs setup in recent times. Fighting his way back into the white-ball format after four long years, he has managed to hold the opportunity door open for himself.

Numbers don’t lie. In his 167 match-long career in the Indian Premier League, he has scalped a total of 145 wickets at an economical 6.91. When it comes to his T20I career, since his comeback against Afghanistan that opened the India’s account in the T20 World Cup, he has a wicket tally of nine off the five matches at an economy as low as 5.25.

This is accompanied with a strike rate and average of 13.3 and 11.66 respectively. CSK has looked to be a team that prefers to field an all-rounder with their batting going deep down the order.

A handy batsman like Ravi Ashwin lower the order will surely tempt the defending champions to go big for him in the auctions as he presents himself as an option for captaincy post the Dhoni era.

2. Hari Nishaanth 

Climbing up the ranks of most runs in Tamil Nadu T20 history is Ooty born Chezhian Hari Nishaanth. Currently sitting at No.10 in that list and having scored the second-highest run tally this year, the southpaw is well on the radar for the Men in Yellow.

A T20 regular for the Tamil Nadu team over the past three years, CH Nishant is already waiting in the wings to perform at the big stage. Averaging 34.30 this year and a tally of 446 in his 16 matches assured that he took the TN batting innings off to a flier.

With a decent strike rate of 124.84, the opener keeps the scoreboard ticking, along with running between the wickets and hitting frequent boundaries. His valuable contributions of 246 runs at an average of 41 helped TN lift the SMAT.

While the Chennai franchise bought the opener at a bargain price of 20L last IPL auction, they’ll surely target the in-form batter to make up a strong top-order who is yet to make his IPL debut.

3. Shahrukh Khan 

A superstar in the making in the South of India, this Tamil Nadu boy is producing blockbuster innings over and over again, banging not only the CSK managements’ door but also the national selectors’. Shahrukh Khan will be a vital addition to the team’s setup.

The versatile middle-order batter is surely the man with the power arm. He may not be among the top contenders for most runs, but the ability to go behind a bowler right from ball one is his USP. In his debut season at the IPL 2021, he ended with 153 runs in his bank at a strike rate of 134.21 and 10 sixes.

His domestic season was the highlight of the year. Averaging 47.25 in 16 T20 matches and 189 runs, this swashbuckling batter was a valuable finisher for the team.

With his recent hard-hitting at the VHT, Khan will be in greater demand going into the 2022 auction. While CSK may need to dedicate a good piece of their purse to acquire the batters’ services, they will hope to get him into their family and make 2022 a box office hit.

4. Narayan Jagadeesan 

The role of the wicketkeeper has never been under question when it comes to the Chennai franchise. The role was assigned to the legendary MS Dhoni, and he has continued the service to date. Keeping the future in mind, the yellow lions will be on the lookout for a keeper. Narayan Jagadeesan will be a wicketkeeper-batter they’ll target in the auction.

A smart and innovative batsman full of intent, Jagadeesan smashed a total of 568 runs at an average of 43.69 at the top of the order to become Tamil Nadu’s leading T20 run-getter for 2021. What sets him apart is his ability to play at any position and to adapt to the situation.

Sitting 5th in the list of highest run-getters in Tamil Nadu’s T20 history, Jagadeesan doesn’t have the greatest strike rate but is a dependable batter who can scale his innings.

With the uncertainty of time left in the yellow for Dhoni, it’s the perfect opportunity for CSK to target and harness the skills of Jagadeesan who will be a valuable addition to their XI in the future.

5. R Sai Kishore 

Talk about best selling combos, spinners and Chepauk comes right up the list for Indian cricket. Thriving in those conditions and consistently being amongst the most economical bowlers in domestic T20s is the Chennai spinner – R Sai Kishore

Kishore checks out everything a captain needs from his bowlers in T20s. Economy, the ability to bowl in any phase of the game, variations that unsettle batsmen, and most importantly, a power-play striker.

Sitting second on the list of highest wicket-takers for Tamil Nadu at an economy of 5.46, Sai has risen to be the captain’s go-to bowler. Ending 2021 with a wicket tally of 18 in his 16 matches, it’s only a matter of time before he sets foot in the bigger leagues.

When it came to the power-play economy rate, CSK had one of the worst amongst all teams. Nevertheless, they emerged as the team with the highest wickets in the power play. What CSK will look to do in 2022 is address their economic rate, something Kishore can cover for the Yellow team. He will enter the IPL 2022 auction as a player to watch out for.