Eoin Morgan should be retained by KKR; MS Dhoni might not play next year: Ajay Jadeja and Shaun Pollock
Former South Africa skipper Shaun Pollock has opined that Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) should retain their skipper Eoin Morgan ahead of the mega auction. He reasoned that a calm and skilful skipper is vital for a team in a tournament like the IPL.
Former India player Ajay Jadeja also resonated with Pollock's thoughts and called for Morgan's retention.
Pollock and Jadeja shared their views with Cricbuzz regarding players they think should be retained by KKR and Chennai Super Kings before the auction. When asked about his opinion on the KKR side's retention strategy, Shaun Pollock said:
"I think they should look at the spinners. Varun Chakravarthy, he's been key for them, him and Narine. You also got to luck at the top order where they got big contributions.
"The top three batsmen and the two spinners were key for them this year," he added. "I think that's where their big performances will be coming. I would probably think Morgan would be a good choice. You would think he might have a much better season next time around. Captaincy is very vital in IPL, calm head as we have seen from the victors today."
Both Pollock and Ajay Jadeja wanted KKR to retain the trio of Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, and Eoin Morgan. They also think Kolkata should contemplate using right-to-match cards for their top-order batters.
CSK should retain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, and Ravindra Jadeja: Shaun Pollock
Shaun Pollock has advised the CSK management to invest in Ruturaj Gaikwad as he feels the 24-year-old will be a fantastic performer for Chennai for years to come. Pollock then suggested Faf du Plessis and Ravindra Jadeja as the other two possible options.
Speaking on CSK's retention policy ahead of the mega auction, Pollock said:
"You have got to keep Ruturaj Gaikwad. Going forward, I feel he will be absolutely fantastic for them. Jadeja, I would hold on to because he's been great with the bat and the ball. And I personally don't think we will see Dhoni, I think he will be retained in a managerial role. I would probably go with Faf, Jadeja, and Gaikwad as the three retentions."
Both Pollock and Ajay Jadeja were on the same page about MS Dhoni's playing future. The duo felt that Dhoni would not play next season to give youngsters a chance so that CSK could build a strong core for the next decade.