"Who will be the 2nd retention, Rutu or Jaddu - that's a big question" - Aakash Chopra on CSK's potential retentions ahead of IPL 2025 auction

Aakash Chopra reckons the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) might have a dilemma in choosing between Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja as their first capped player retention ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. The former India opener opined that MS Dhoni will be the franchise's first retention as an uncapped player.

With 583 runs at an average of 53.00 in 14 innings, Gaikwad was the second-highest run-getter in IPL 2024, behind only Virat Kohli (741). Jadeja, meanwhile, amassed 267 runs at an average of 44.50 in 11 hits this season and picked up eight wickets at an economy rate of 7.85 in 14 innings.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra noted that CSK might have a tough job on their hands in choosing between Gaikwad and Jadeja as their ₹18-crore retention.

"You are going to retain Dhoni as an uncapped Indian for four crores. So that's your first retention. In my opinion, this team has just two players who you would want to give 18 crores - one is the captain and the other is an ex-captain and a very important player of this team - Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja," he said (2:15).

"You want to give 18 crores each to both of them but who will be the second retention, Rutu or Jaddu - that's a big question. Assuming you told Rutu that you would retain him for 18 crores, and convinced Jaddu to be retained for 14 crores, the third retention from the capped category has to be Shivam Dube," the former KKR player added.

Chopra reckons Shivam Dube might be CSK's third capped player to be retained if Gaikwad and Jadeja are their first two retentions in that category.

"I am looking towards Indian players who have game-changing abilities and Shivam Dube's performance for this franchise has been incredible. The third very big metric is that if I let this player go, for how much will he be sold at the auction? You have the Right To Match card, so it's not that you can't build the core. Suppose you retain only two, you will get four RTMs," he reasoned.

Dube smashed 396 runs at a strike rate of 162.29 in 14 innings in IPL 2024. He dished out match-defining performances in the first half of the tournament but was found slightly wanting as the season progressed.

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"I want to retain Matheesha Pathirana somehow" - Aakash Chopra on CSK's other potential retention

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the Chennai Super Kings might be keen to retain Matheesha Pathirana.

"I see only these four players - Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, and MS Dhoni as an uncapped Indian. Which other player could have come in this category - Matheesha Pathirana. I want to retain Matheesha Pathirana somehow," he said (3:35).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that CSK could retain Pathirana and Dube for a combined sum of ₹25 crore to allow them to retain Gaikwad and Jadeja for ₹18 crore apiece.

"It's possible that this team thinks of retaining Rutu for 18 crores, then Matheesha Pathirana for 14 crores and Shivam Dube for 11 crores or the other way around, and then keep Jaddu as the fourth retention. Then you give 18 crores each to two people. So you retain four plus MS Dhoni," Chopra observed.

However, Chopra pointed out that Pathirana is unlikely to be sold for ₹14 crore or more at the auction due to his injury concerns. He added that he doesn't see CSK retaining anyone else, including their trusted seamer Deepak Chahar or Sameer Rizvi as an uncapped player.