IPL 2021: Aakash Chopra suggests Chennai to buy Australian batting mainstay Steve Smith

Cricket pundit Aakash Chopra reckons that former champions Chennai can rope in Steve Smith to strengn ir batting unit in upcoming IPL 2021.  Australian batting mainstay was released by 2008 winners Rajasthan last Wednesday. 

Smith, who h captained Rajasthan last season could t do anything exceptional as it bagged wooden spoon. He h a decent yet t so impactful outing with bat as well by managing to score 311 runs in all 14 matches that he got to feature in.

'Try to acquire Steve Smith': Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his official YouTube channel, Chopra went on to say that Chennai franchise has a total of seven slots available (after releasing some players last week) and when former Indian Test opener h me Chennai (as a part of his prediction/ analysis), he h to open with Ambati Rayudu and Ruturaj Gaikw who were followed by likes of Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ravindra Jeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, and Shardul Thakur/Deepak Chahar.

ex-Delhi cricketer n mentioned that three-time IPL winners can actually play with eight Indians as well but will want to play with just seven. Furrmore, stylish cricket pundit felt that y need an overseas opener or top-order batsman and Steven Smith was one of names that he h in mind.

“ or option is y could try to acquire Steve Smith. y can go for one out of Finch or Roy. So y will have se 3-4 options. David Malan is ar option but Dhoni’s track record says that he goes for tried and tested players. So, I am going with Maxwell, Smith, Finch, or Roy,” cricketer-turned-commentator/analyst ded.

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Chennai retain most of ir players

Despite having a dismal season in 2020, franchise has retained most of its players including Ambati Rayu, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Dwayne Bravo, and Deepak Chahar. squ will be led by MS Dhoni as in previous editions of IPL so far. 
franchise has also retained young Ruturaj Gaikw, who me an impact in last leg of tournament in 2020, with some brilliant innings as he opened batting for team. Ace all-rounder Ravindra Jeja and Sam Curran along with Mitchel Santner have also been retained by franchise.

On or hand, Kedar Jhav, Piyush Chawla, and Murali Vijay have been released in a bid to increase franchise's purse amount for mini-auction. 

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Chennai welcome Robin Uthappa onboard

Just a day after franchises' submitted ir players' retention list to Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), MS Dhoni-led side anunced ir first acquiring of tring window which has been opened up until February 4. three-time winners acquired services of veteran wicket-keeper batsman Robin Uthappa from Rajasthan in an all-cash deal which was officially confirmed by Chennai franchise last Thursday. move comes despite team's criticism of housing several senior players, a factor that contributed to its dismal performance in IPL 2020. 

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