The IPL Auction for the 2024 season will take place in Dubai in less than three weeks, and teams must be busy compiling a watchlist based on their unique purses and team requirements.
While the focus is primarily on international talents that starred during the ODI World Cup, such as Rachin Ravindra, Travis Head, and Gerald Coetzee, there are a few Indian possibilities who might command high fees come December 19.
Shahrukh Khan of Tamil Nadu is one of those players, having been released by the Punjab Kings before to the auction. Let’s take a look at three reasons why he’d be an excellent addition to TN’s very own Chennai Super Kings.
1. Local Star’s Signing Will Make the Home Fans Happy
The Indian Premier League comprises 10 clubs headquartered in ten separate cities, however the talent represented by the teams does not always come from the same city or state. In truth, several IPL teams feature stars from various sections of the country, yet the supporters still identify with them.
When it comes to bringing in uncapped players, most clubs do have a respectable number of players from the state where their franchise is based. The Chennai Super Kings are one squad that has let supporters down in this regard.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Murali Vijay were the last TN players to get regular game action for CSK, with Jagadeesan spending the most of his time on the bench.
However, by adding someone like Shahrukh Khan, a fan favorite thanks to his spell with the Chepauk Super Gillies in the TNPL and his time as Tamil Nadu captain, CSK might further endear themselves to an already raucous fan base.
2. Shahrukh Khan Perfect Fit for CSK’s Attacking Batting Approach
The CSK hitters wasted little time in laying siege to the opponent batters, as the team management hammered an offensive batting strategy into the players in IPL 2023, from Ruturaj Gaikwad’s blitzes at the top to an unseen incarnation of Ajinkya Rahane.
Shahrukh Khan is a colossal hitter of the cricket ball who is at ease against both speed and spin. He has no qualms about going big from the first ball and fits in wonderfully with CSK’s new Gung-Ho batting approach.
Given that even cautious batsmen like Rahane and Rayudu have adapted effectively to CSK’s offensive batting technique, one can only image the havoc a batter like Shahrukh Khan can inflict.
3. A Possible Replacement for Ambati Rayudu and a Future Finisher for CSK
Ambati Rayudu was mostly deployed as a floater in the last couple of seasons, and while he has played many great innings for CSK in the past, he couldn’t quite duplicate it in IPL 2023, and he was dismissed ahead of the auction after announcing his retirement.
Shahrukh Khan is a top-tier Indian batting option who can take Rayudu’s position in the lineup and maybe outperform him.
He is a solid finisher and can bat anywhere in the middle order. Shahrukh Khan might end up becoming CSK’s finisher for many years to come, and this may be MS Dhoni’s last IPL season.
