CSK unlikely to pick Rishabh Pant, R Ashwin in wish list: report

Since the news is about Rishabh PantWith Delhi Capitals’ release cut short, a number of franchises began circling the popular wicket-keeper batter. Pant’s release at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction surprised many, but the development also brought optimism to fans of some franchises. One of the franchises that has been closely linked with the Delhi boy’s move is Chennai Super Kings. However, chasing Rishabh Pant may be the most natural MS Dhoni successor looks a bit challenging for the franchise.

CSK decided to keep the likes Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dubey, Matisha Pathiranaand MS Dhoni before the auction, leaving himself with only one Right to Match card to use in the bidding war. In all likelihood, CSK will use the RTM option to open the Test. Devon Conway.

However, with only INR 55 crore left in the purse, a Times of India report says that it may become difficult for CSK to go all-in on Pant, who is likely to cost a fee in the region of INR 25. crores at auction.

Pant arguably remains the most lucrative option for buying franchises in the IPL auction. Those in the know believe that the wicket-keeper’s batter is expected to fetch a fee in the region of INR 25 crore and INR 30 crore. The Super Kings still have a lot of bases to cover. Therefore, spending such an astronomical amount on a punt might not be in the best interest of the franchise from a balance sheet perspective.

If the bidding war does reach this stage, one of the Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants or Royal Challengers Bangaluru has a better chance of signing the player as they have a larger purse to spend.

PBKS has the largest balance of all at Rs 110.5 crore and has retained only two uncapped players. RCB with Rs 83 crore and LSG with Rs 69 crore are next in line with the biggest purse to spend in the auction. Gujarat Titans, who have INR 69 crore left to spend, could also be in the race to sign Pant.

The report also claims that CSK’s homecoming could be a reality for Ravichandran Ashwinwhich was released by the Rajasthan royals before the auction. The spinner once again spoke about his dream of playing for his home team. A dream could come true at this auction.