DELHI: Former India opener Aakash Chopra has suggested that Chennai Super Kings should consider signing KL Rahul as a potential successor to MS Dhoni.
The five-time IPL champions have already retained their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, along with key players Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, and Matheesha Pathirana, while MS Dhoni has been kept on the roster as an uncapped player.
With CSK in search of a suitable replacement for the legendary wicketkeeper-batter, Chopra believes Rahul could be an excellent option for the role.
“What all do they need? I feel they need a successor to Dhoni, a wicketkeeper-batter and it’s great if they get an Indian. Everyone is saying, let me also say – he is more than 30 years old, is going to be a father very soon and everyone has written him off as well, so he is right for Chennai, that’s KL Rahul. So they will definitely go for KL Rahul,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“We can’t say for how long they will go but they will try to acquire him because the franchise still has Rs 55 crore to be spent. So if they can get an Indian like him, Ishan Kishan or Rishabh Pant for Rs 10-15 crore, they are going to try. They might think about Shreyas Iyer for some time because they will need Indian batters to bat in those conditions,” he added.
Rahul, who captained LSG for three consecutive seasons, was notably absent from their retained players list, making him available for the IPL 2025 mega auction set for November 24 and 25 in Jeddah, where he will be amongst the most sought-after players.
Rahul, along with Rishabh Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Arshdeep Singh, will headline a list of 574 players, each with a top base price of Rs 2 crore, at the upcoming IPL auction. The event is set to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on November 24 and 25.
