CSK out to buy Ashwin, says Dhoni
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Ashwin will come first in the auction for us. But we will have to wait and watch. We will try to get him.
MS DHONI, On Ashwin’s utility
CHENNAI:Super Kings raised doubt whether they were interested in the return of R Ashwin after the franchise decided to retain MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja.
However, Dhoni, back as skipper for the IPL franchise, which served a two-year ban slapped in connection with the 2013 spot-fixing scandal, said the IPL franchise was very much keen to bring back the off-spinner.
Ashwin, who played for Pune Supergiant in 2016 but took a break last year after a hectic Test schedule, will go into the pool at the Player Auction, to be held in Bangalore on January 27 and 28.
“As I have said, it is always a tough call. With Ashwin, you know we had done the same thing in the past. We will definitely go for him in the auction. Ashwin definitely, being a local lad -- we want a lot of local players to be part of CSK,” Dhoni said at the team’s promotional event.
“We have two Right-To-Match options, but having already retained three capped Indian players, I don’t think we can use it. We’ll have to buy him in the auction… Ashwin will come first in the auction for us. But we will have to wait and watch. We will try to get him,” Dhoni, who led CSK to two IPL titles, said.
“We’ve made three retentions -- one keeper, two batsmen, and two batsmen who can bowl. As of now it is very difficult to say who we will get. That is the adaptability factor we need at the auction table, and we need to keep emotions in check.”
SA POSITIVE
India under his successor Virat Kohli are under fire after going 0-2 down to lose the South Africa Test series with a match to go. However, Dhoni commended the team for taking 20 wickets in both the Tests.
“I’d look at the positives. To win a Test you need 20 wickets and we have taken 20 wickets. If you can’t take 20 wickets, what is the next thing? You look to draw,” Dhoni said. “How you can draw (is by) by giving fewer runs and by scoring runs. “If you are not able to get 20 wickets, you can’t win a Test irrespective of whether you are playing in India or outside,” he said. “This means we’re always in a position to win a Test. Once you start scoring runs, you are there.”