Tag Archives: cricketer ravichandran ashwin

“Cameron Green is a no” – Legendary spinner makes huge claim ahead of IPL 2026 auction

Posted on by
Reply

Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has made a significant claim regarding Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) strategy for the IPL 2026 auction. The legendary spinner stated that CSK will not target Australian all-rounder Cameron Green in the upcoming auction. Ashwin elaborated on why Green does not fit into the team’s plans, emphasizing the team’s existing lineup and player roles.

Ashwin, however, suggested that CSK might want to push Green’s price higher in the auction. The Chennai-based franchise could deliberately stretch Green’s price to benefit their team strategy. Instead, Ashwin believes CSK will focus on securing seasoned all-rounder Andre Russell, who was released by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the mini-auction.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said:

“CSK have two slots to fill — a spinner and a finisher. In this particular setup, Cameron Green is a no. There is a lot of talk that CSK should go for Green and bring him in. Firstly, CSK will not get Cameron Green, and secondly, in this line-up, he will not sit well. He is not a finisher. He will have to play after Mhatre, Ruturaj, Brevis, Dube, and maybe even Dhoni.

The ideal batter to come and finish the innings is Andre Russell. I have seen the CSK analyst put up Dre Russ, so I think they will go for him.”

Ashwin also warned that CSK might have to “break the bank” if they want either of the two all-rounders. He expressed optimism that the Super Kings might try to rebuy Sri Lankan pacer Matheesha Pathirana, while suggesting that pursuing another experienced all-rounder like Glenn Maxwell could be off the table.

He added:

“CSK don’t need Green as desperately as KKR need. But CSK also have the responsibility of pushing Green’s price. If CSK don’t stretch KKR to over ₹20 crore for Green, then they will again come back for Russell. Then CSK will not get both of them. CSK have to break their bank on one player.

It will be nice if they try to get Pathirana back. If they had let go of Overton, they could have pushed for Maxwell.”

### CSK’s Auction Purse and Player Retention

With ₹43.40 crore remaining, CSK hold the second-highest purse ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, only behind KKR, who have ₹64.30 crore in their bank.

**CSK retained players list:**
– Ruturaj Gaikwad (c)
– Ayush Mhatre
– Dewald Brevis
– MS Dhoni
– Urvil Patel
– Shivam Dube
– Jamie Overton
– Ramakrishna Ghosh
– Noor Ahmad
– Khaleel Ahmed
– Anshul Kamboj
– Gurjapneet Singh
– Nathan Ellis
– Shreyas Gopal
– Mukesh Choudhary

—

### “Dhoni Could Just Play as an Impact Player” – Ashwin’s Prediction Ahead of IPL 2026 Auction

Ravichandran Ashwin also speculated on MS Dhoni’s role for the upcoming IPL season. He believes that Dhoni might take on the role of an impact player, especially since Sanju Samson is available to fulfill wicketkeeping duties.

Ashwin urged the 44-year-old veteran to continue batting, as CSK currently lacks enough finishers, though the final composition depends on the auction buys.

He explained:

“If MS Dhoni does not want to play, this release list would have indicated that. The fact that Jadeja is gone, and they already don’t have power finishers, it tells us that MS Dhoni will continue.

Also, because Sanju can keep wickets, it is a very good possibility that Dhoni could just play as an impact player. Only he can tell whether there is enough petrol left in his tank, but the fact that the release list does not have his name is as good as a confirmation that he will play the season.”

—

Stay tuned for more updates on IPL 2026, including live scores, auction predictions, match schedules, points tables, and detailed squad information for all franchises.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/news-cameron-green-no-legendary-spinner-makes-huge-claim-ahead-ipl-2026-auction

3 reasons why MI trading in Shardul Thakur from LSG ahead of IPL 2026 would be the wrong move

Posted on by
Reply

Experienced Indian all-rounder Shardul Thakur has become a subject of a potential trade deal involving the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the dying stages of the trading window. The 34-year-old is reportedly set for a switch ahead of the retention deadline set for Saturday, November 15. The player is currently leading Mumbai in the 2025-26 Ranji Trophy campaign after being dropped from the Indian Test squad post the England tour. Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin broke the news while discussing MI’s potential releases ahead of the auction. “I don’t see MI releasing any player. Their only question would be around Deepak Chahar, who is a bit injury-prone. They have secured Shardul Thakur on a trade with LSG, that is done,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why MI trading in Shardul Thakur from LSG ahead of IPL 2026 would be the wrong move. #1 Shardul Thakur has been off course in T20s for a while now Since his release from the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after the triumphant 2021 campaign, Shardul Thakur has not lasted more than a single season with any franchise. His big money stints with both the Delhi Capitals (DC) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) were uneventful, leading to his subsequent. The same story followed with his return to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as well in 2024. He was alarmingly unwanted by any franchise during the mega auction, and was a last-minute replacement for the injured Mohsin Khan with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). It shows a lot as to how his graph has fallen with each subsequent year. Even his IPL 2025 campaign was nothing noteworthy as he ended with 13 wickets in 10 matches with an economy rate of 11. 02. There was a spark for him in T20s during the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament, where he was the fourth-leading taker. However, even at his best, his economy read a 10. 51. As a result, with barely any positives apart from his familiarity with MI’s home venue, experience, and an erratic wicket-taking ability, a version of Shardul Thakur’s whose peak has already transpired, does not exactly come across as a shrewd MI signing. #2 MI already have several pace bowling all-rounder options in their side Almost all of the recent trades involving Shardul Thakur made sense to a certain extent since those franchises did not have the luxury of a pace bowling all-rounder, especially an Indian one, for the sake of balance and depth. However, for MI, who already have the No. 1-ranked T20 all-rounder in the world in Hardik Pandya, a reliable overseas pace bowling all-rounder in Corbin Bosch, and an emerging candidate in Raj Angad Bawa, this pursuit of Shardul Thakur makes very little sense. Even if MI considers him primarily as a bowling option, since he has batted only eight times across the last two seasons, the franchise have more than enough bowling depth to cover for Deepak Chahar and Jasprit Bumrah’s injury concerns. Emerging pacers like Ashwani Kumar and Satyanarayana Raju are more than enough cover for a short-term basis. #3 Auction pool might have been a better avenue for MI to build back up Even if MI are unsatisfied with the options they have in terms of depth or back-up, they always had the mini auction to bring in names instead of using the trade window. The player pool includes a vast variety of players of all kinds, traits, and age, and MI could have assessed those options, especially since it will have players that they scouted as per their core values. Granted, they might not have the biggest purse or a lot of slots available in the squad, but considering that they are not looking for outright first-team members, they could have taken the risk rather than jumping the gun with Shardul Thakur prior to the auction.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/3-reasons-mi-trading-shardul-thakur-lsg-ahead-ipl-2026-wrong-move