“Criteria To Join CSK”: Fan Shortlists Two Pacers Who Qualify To Join MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings For IPL 2024

If there is one team in the Indian Premier League that does not have any dearth of loyal fans, it is Chennai Super Kings. Junaid Khan, an ardent CSK fan, shortlisted India’s Chetan Sakariya and South Africa’s Gerald Coetzee as two pacers who the franchise could buy during IPL 2024 auction later this month.

It is noteworthy that Khan didn’t name these two capped players for the heck of it. According to him, the pair now fulfills a supposed mandatory criteria, i.e., having a partner in one’s personal life, before joining the franchise. While Sakariya got engaged to Meghna Jambucha recently, Coetzee tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Hannah Hathorn.

Considered the most happiest workplace in the IPL, CSK have received heartening testimonials from former players such as Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Robin Utthappa etc. over the years. One of the two most successful IPL franchises, on-field successfulness is a direct consequence of their players’ feel-good mindset amid a family-like environment.

“The franchise looks after each other and every aspect of the player. They also look after their families. Our families were there, kids were playing. You know how things are, we play a lot of matches and travel a lot and the presence of kids help us remain calm,” Raina had exclaimed to Ashwin in an Instagram live chat as quoted by The Times Of India during IPL 2020.

Still led by a 42-year old MS Dhoni, Super Kings often find themselves acquiring top positions when it comes to average age. Hence, called Dad’s Army for a reason. Since their second stint 2018 onwards, top-performing players namely Ambati Rayudu, Faf du Plessis, Shane Watson, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo (unmarried with kids) and Imran Tahir are all married with kids.

Among Indian star performers in the recent years, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur and Ruturaj Gaikwad have all married recently. While Chahar’s marriage proposal had happened right after an IPL 2021 match in Dubai, Thakur no longer plays for the franchise.

Can CSK Afford to buy Chetan Sakariya And Gerald Coetzee?

With England Test captain Ben Stokes being the biggest of them all, CSK released a total of eight players last month. Currently holding on to six pacers, Chennai wouldn’t mind acquiring the services of an express fast bowler comprising death-bowling skills such as Coetzee.

As for Sakariya, him playing only five matches across the last two IPL seasons have put him way down the pecking order despite representing India across three limited-overs matches post a breakthrough IPL 2021.

Chennai, who will enter IPL 2024 auction with a purse of INR 32.1 crore, can afford to buy both Sakariya and Coetzee on paper. However, only time will tell about their interest in left-armer Sakariya. While Coetzee has registered himself for this auction at INR 2 crore, Sakariya has set his base price to INR 50 lakh.