IPL 2018: 4 CSK players who can replace injured Suresh Raina
FollowAfter the BCCI moved CSK’s home venue out of Chennai to Pune, the franchise has now been hit with another big blow in Suresh Raina’s absence for their upcoming games against Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals.
Murali Vijay
Vijay (34) will be the best replacement for the injured Suresh Raina as he would also relieve Ambati Rayudu off the burden of opening the innings. Vijay is also a player who has played majority of his IPL cricket with CSK, which makes him a great addition to the side. He has scored 2,511 runs in 100 matches at a strike rate of 123.29 with two centuries and 13 half-centuries.
Dhruv Shorey
Source: BCCI
The swashbuckling Delhi youngster has had a great domestic season and will be fighting for a place against some of the best batsmen at CSK. Shorey (25) might not have the experience but his abilities are certainly not to be undermined. He scored a gritty century in the final of the Ranji Trophy in a losing cause for Delhi. With 379 runs in 14 innings at an average of 31.58 a strike rate of 124.67, Shorey has an impressive T20 record and will be hoping to capitalise on his chances under MS Dhoni.
Narayan Jagadeesan
Source: thehindu.com
A right-handed prodigy from Tamil Nadu, Jagadeesan (22) has been a vital cog in his state team ever since his debut in 2016-17 domestic season. Jagadeesan came to the limelight after a highly impressive stint in the first season of the Tamil Nadu Premier League in 2016. He also enjoyed an impressive Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2017-18 where he amassed 152 runs at a fantastic average of 38.0 and a strike-rate of 129.91. Jagadeesan is a more than safe gloveman to add to his dazzling batting skills and with age on his side, he can only get better.
Chaitanya Bishnoi
Source: Cricket in
Chaitanya (23) is an all-rounder from Haryana, who has turned out to be an integral member of his state side in the recent past. Chaitanya is a left-arm spinner and a left-handed batsman. The Delhi-born cricketer can come in handy with his batting cameos lower down the order and can pile on the total while setting a target.
CSK
Total players: 25, Overseas players: 8
Batsmen: Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, M Vijay, Suresh Raina, Kedar Jadhav, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Dhruv Shorey
All-rounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Monu Kumar Singh, Kshitiz Sharma
Wicket-Keepers: MS Dhoni, N Jagadeesan, Sam Billings, Ambati Rayudu
Bowlers: Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, KM Asif, Kanishk Seth, Mark Wood, Lungi Ngidi, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Santner
