IPL Auction: CSK will look to fill up the gaps on day two

The 44-year-old, who oversaw two IPL triumphs, said he is satisfied with the number of allrounders and the quality of batsmen they have assembled. “Our main challenge on Sunday would be to identify the right mix of fast bowlers. We have done a good balancing act on day one and the only aspect that needs to be looked after now is to get a good pacer,” said Fleming, who still has Rs.17 crore in his kitty to spend. 

Towards the end, CSK bid vigorously for Big Bash League sensation D’Arcy Short and highly rated Indian batsman Ishan Kishan before dropping out of the race. In the bowling department, Fleming has always been a big fan of bringing in exuberant pacers from Australia and New Zealand. Some of the notable names in the fray are Andrew Tye, Ben Laughlin and Lockie Ferguson. Fleming is known to back a rookie pacer with an unfancied Mohit Sharma and Jaydev Unadkat excelling under his tutelage in the past. 

Former Indian captain and coach Anil Kumble suggested that CSK needs to bring in more young blood as the average age of the current squad is nearing 30. “There is no doubt that proven performers such as Kedar Jadhav, Harbhajan Singh, Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson and Dwayne Bravo will bring experience but at the same time the team also requires fresh and young legs in a fast-paced format,” opined Kumble. 

CSK is on the lookout for options for the opening slot, with players like West Indian’s Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons and the destructive Englishman Alex Hales being up for grabs on Sunday. 

Considering CSK already has four spinners in its ranks, it will be a surprise if it spends big for promising local talent Washington Sundar who did exceedingly well for Rising Pune Supergiant last season. 

Meanwhile, former India captain Kris Srikkanth said he wasn’t surprised by CSK not going all out in its pursuit of R Ashwin. “I expected it, reason is that last year Washington Sundar played under (MS) Dhoni and Steve Smith for (Rising) Pune (Supergiant), and he was the most economical bowler. Now that Washington is an Indian T20 player, he could well be an option for CSK,” Kris Srikkanth said.