CSK need to retain Ayush Mhatre and Shivam Dube, says Mukund

Abhinav Mukund says Chennai Super Kings are still searching for a clear team identity ahead of the IPL auction. He backs Shivam Dube and Ayush Mhatre, while suggesting CSK release Prashant Veer and trade Urvil Patel to address squad gaps

Hyderabad: Former India cricketer Abhinav Mukund says that Chennai Super Kings are still struggling to figure out what their correct identity is.

“They changed their identity from Dad’s Army to youth because they found success with Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel, so they decided to back Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma. But they spent huge amounts to bring them into the squad, and that cost them in the auction and last season as well, because Prashant couldn’t perform in the limited number of games,” Mukund said on JioStar’s ‘Gameplan’ programme.

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“Kartik did well but still couldn’t have a major impact in helping them win games. I felt that spending over Rs 28 crore on both of them was a bit of a big gamble. Unfortunately, Prashant Veer, for me, goes back into the auction pool, as CSK will need money to sort out the gaps in their squad, which means Prashant will have to be released,” he said.

“From CSK’s point of view, the trade moves for Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards feel like a definite shift in thinking. They want more power in the middle order, and they want an overseas all-rounder. Liam Livingstone fulfils that gap, as he can go bang-bang with the bat after the younger Indian players. Plus, he provides them with the option of off-spin bowling, which will come in handy when they go up against sides that have a lot of left-handed batters in their playing XI,” Mukund said.

“Jack Edwards, a brilliant young Australian fast-bowling all-rounder, bats with a high strike rate, chips in with useful bowling spells and is a mystery for many teams, as he has recently burst onto the scene. CSK can use him as their trump card in the next season of the IPL. Also, CSK have a surplus of left-arm seamers, so Khaleel Ahmed moving to SRH need not be a bad thing for CSK, because they’ve already got Gurjapneet Singh and Mukesh Choudhary, and it looks like they might end up retaining Spencer Johnson,” he said.

On the trade talks surrounding Shivam Dube, Mukund said: “There is a lot of trade talk about Shivam Dube, but I personally would keep him because I feel there is a need for a player of his skill set in this CSK team. He was a key player in their success in 2023 as well, and he gives CSK a rare balance of a left-handed batter in the middle order who can take down spin. On top of that, he can bowl a few overs of medium pace when needed. On slow, turning tracks at Chepauk, his bowling becomes even more useful because he hits the deck and gets the ball to grip. He is also a proven performer in pressure situations, and you need players like him in the squad. In case the Impact Player rule goes away, then his role in the side will become even more important. If CSK let him go, they will struggle to find a like-for-like replacement at the auction. So, Shivam Dube should stay and, for me, keeping him is a no-brainer.”

“I feel there is an opportunity for CSK to trade a player like Urvil Patel. CSK already have the likes of Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis and Sarfaraz Khan in their squad, and if all of these batters are fit, then Urvil sadly doesn’t find a place in the side. So, if CSK are investing in all of the above batters as their future, then they should trade Urvil Patel,” Mukund said.

“Ayush Mhatre is not a tradable option. He’s the next big thing for CSK, bats at number three, opens the batting and gives them an explosive start. Right now, they have too many top-order batters. Everyone wants to bat in the top four, and that is a problem. So why not release Urvil and keep Sarfaraz as your backup? It would give CSK a more settled squad and give Urvil the game time he deserves.”