Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who clinched their fifth Indian Premier League (IPL) title last season after beating the then-defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final, gearing up for the 17th edition of the cash-rich league under the leadership of the talismanic captain MS Dhoni. As CSK prepares for the IPL 2024 auction along with the nine other teams, former South African and Royal Challenegers Bangalore (RCB) star AB de Villiers has made a prediction about the possible move for CSK.
AB de Villiers’ explains why CSK won’t pursue Pat Cummins in the IPL 2024 Auction
With a few big names set to go under the hammer on December 19 in Dubai, De Villiers believed that Australian skipper Pat Cummins might not be an option for the Dhoni-led side, and they can explore better alternatives than the star pacer. The 39-year-old considered Cummins as a two-format bowler and mentions that the Aussie speedster has been sensational in longer formats of the game but hasn’t been effective when it comes to the T20 format.
“I don’t see Pat Cummins going to CSK. He has been a bit expensive over the past few years so I don’t see T20 as his strongest suit. He is more of an ODI or a Test bowler. But anything can happen in the auction,” De Villiers said on his Youtube channel.
“They (CSK) are fairly good in the spin department and I feel they will need a pacer. You will see these guys feature at the backend of the tournament. They always seem to find a way,” the Pretoria-born cricketer concluded.
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CSK’s current pace bowling line-up and alternatives in the auction
When it comes to CSK, they already have many fast bowlers in the form of Simarjeet Singh, Mukesh Chaudhary, Deepak Chahar and Sri Lankan Mahesh Pathirana. However, the lack of experience may force CSK to consider going after Cummins. Apart from Cummins, many other international pacers are taking part in the auction, including Cummins’ countryman Josh Hazlewood, who played for CSK for two years and could be an option for the defending champions.
