Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have suffered a major blow ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. Their star batting all-rounder, Ben Stokes, has pulled out of the tournament, leaving a massive hole in their lineup.
However, missing Stokes also gives them an advantage. The England skipper’s absence means that CSK has an increased INR 16.25 crore purse at the mini-auction. These are the players CSK will go after at the auction to replace Ben Stokes.
Player | Country | Role |
---|---|---|
Azmatullah Omarzai | Afghanistan | Batting All-rounder |
Chris Woakes | England | Bowling All-rounder |
Pat Cummins | Australia | Bowling All-rounder |
Players CSK will look to buy in IPL Auction 2024 to replace Ben Stokes
Azmatullah Omarzai
Azmatullah Omarzai took the world by storm in the 2023 World Cup, scoring over 350 runs and picking up 7 wickets in 9 matches. The 23-year-old was his country’s second-highest run scorer at the tournament and their fifth-highest wicket-taker, ahead of the likes of Noor Ahmed and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
His record in T20s isn’t too shabby either. In the 62 matches he’s played, he struck the ball at 129.51 with the bat and has 59 wickets.
Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins has already done well in the IPL. Having played in 6 editions of the tournament, he has taken 45 wickets in 42 matches. His batting in the IPL is perhaps the most surprising thing about the Australian skipper. The pace bowling all-rounder strikes the ball at 152.21 and has scored the 3rd fastest 50 in the IPL.
Chris Woakes
An English all-rounder to replace another English all-rounder? Chris Woakes has had a short and underwhelming IPL career so far. In the three seasons he’s played, Woakes has taken 30 wickets in 21 matches. However, his returns with the bat in the leagues haven’t been great. The right-handed all-rounder averages just 13 at a strike rate of 101.30 in the IPL.
However, Woakes has much better figures with the bat in T20s. In the 147 T20s he has played so far, he has struck at 134.97 and averaged 22.34, making him a valuable lower-order batter.