MS Dhoni's role in IPL 2021 auction and CSK's core strategy revealed by CEO: WATCH

The Chennai Super Kings have established themselves as a force to reckon with in the Indian Premier League through their sheer consistency. The MS Dhoni-led side surprisingly had an underwhelming season last year where they failed to finish in the top four. They now have a chance to redeem themselves with the competition returning to the Indian soil, and their performance in the upcoming IPL auction will have a major impact on their game plans as well. 

IPL auction live updates: CEO K Vishwanathan throws light on CSK's auction strategy 

Ahead of the much-anticipated auction, Chennai Super Kings took to their Instagram account, where they provided fans with a glimpse of their strategy ahead of the event. K Vishwanathan, the CEO of the franchise, revealed how their plans rely on the captain and the coach. He pointed out that team management plays a major role in the IPL auction, and they will stick to the same policy for the forthcoming edition as well. 

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Stephen Fleming, the long-serving head coach of the team, pointed out that the whole process of the auction is a comprehensive process. While there surely is an air of excitement around the whole event, the proceedings also come along with their share of nervousness. According to Vishwanathan's statements, captain MS Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming would be the key decision-makers for them. The two however will not be in Chennai for the auction, but Vishwanathan had confirmed in the past that they will be connected digitally throughout the event. 

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The team's performance analyst, Lakshmi Narayanan, in the video, spoke about how after analyzing the performances of the players as well as through talent scouting, he hands over a list to the coaching staff, who then further shortlist the cricketers based on their requirements. The CEO also pointed out that they also estimate the requirements of the other teams. Moreover, he highlighted that as they are aware of their available purse, they can also determine how much they can shell out for a particular player. 

CSK list of retained players 2021 

• MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, N Jagadeesan, Faf Du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sam Curran, Ravi Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Mitchell Santner, Josh Hazlewood, Shardul Thakur, Karn Sharma, KM Asif, Imran Tahir, R. Sai Kishore, Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi.

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IPL 2021 auction live streaming details 

Fans in Indian can tune in to the Star Sports Network from 2 PM (IST) on Thursday to catch the live telecast of the program. IPL 2021 auction live streaming will also be made available on the Disney+Hotstar app and website, as well as on JioTV. For the IPL auction live updates, one can keep tabs on the social media accounts of the tournament. 

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Image source: Chennai Super Kings Instagram