'Chennai might try to acquire Smith, wouldn't be surprised if they go for Maxwell': Chopra

With the IPL 2021 mini-auction nearing closer, cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra believes that three-time champions Chennai could try to rope in Australian talisman Steve Smith or power-hitter Glenn Maxwell to boost their batting lineup. Both the Australians have been released by their respective franchises following a poor run in IPL 2020. Chopra has also stated that the MS Dhoni-led squad might also have its eyes set on Aaron Finch and Jason Roy and eventually opt for any one of the four aforementioned batsmen. 

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra said that Chennai also have the option of acquiring Dawid Malan but shunned English opener as a prospect citing MS Dhoni's track record, which implies that the skipper has always opted for 'tried and tested' players. 

'They can go with Maxwell'

“The other option is they could try to acquire Steve Smith. They can go for one out of Finch or Roy. So they will have these 3-4 options. David Malan is another option but Dhoni’s track record says that he goes for tried and tested players. So, I am going with Maxwell, Smith, Finch or Roy," Chopra said. 

Highlighting Maxwell's bowling abilities, Chopra asserted that the Australian all-rounder might be a frontrunner in Chennai's target list. “I won’t be surprised if they are thinking about Glenn Maxwell because they do not have an off-spinner and it will not be easy to get an off-spinner in the auction. If they want to get someone to open and Dhoni can do this, they can go with Maxwell and see what happens,” he said.

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Chennai announced its first acquiring for the IPL 2021 as it roped in Robin Uthappa from Rajasthan via the trade window in an all-cash deal. Speaking on the same, Chopra said that the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman might not be a regular in the playing XI.

“If you see the story of the last 4-5 years, they like to have overseas openers. They have let Murali Vijay go and taken Robin Uthappa. But I don’t think Robin Uthappa will be their sure-shot first side starter. Because they have Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina and then Dhoni. So in that case, Robbie may not fit in. I feel Ruturaj will be the first-choice opener but who opens with him is a question,” said Chopra.

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Chennai retain core squad

Despite having a dismal season in 2020, the franchise has retained most of its players including Ambati Rayadu, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Dwayne Bravo and Deepak Chahar. The squad will be led by MS Dhoni as in the previous editions of the IPL so far. The franchise has also retained young Ruturaj Gaikwad, who made an impact in the last leg of the tournament in 2020, with some brilliant innings as he opened the batting for the team. Ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran along with Mitchel Santner have also been retained by the franchise. On the other hand, Kedar Jadhav, Piyush Chawla and Murali Vijay have been released in a bid to increase the franchise's purse amount for the mini-auction. 

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