"Nothing Like It": How MS Dhoni's Masterstroke Made CSK Bid For Ajinkya Rahane Ahead Of IPL 2023

Ajinkya Rahane has emerged as a superstar for Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 and his aggressive brand of batting has both stunned and thrilled the fans. The experienced India batter has slammed 224 runs in six matches but it is his strike rate of 189.83 that has been the highlight of the season. The new found aggression has made him a mainstay of the CSK middle order and it has also allowed players like Shivam Dube and Ambati Rayudu to flourish.

CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan revealed it was actually MS Dhoni who urged the franchise to bid for Rahane ahead of IPL 2023. In an interview with Cricbuzz, Viswanathan revealed that Dhoni was keen on adding the veteran batter to the side. "'Nothing like it if you can get him', MS told me when I asked him, and that is why we bid for Rahane," Viswanathan said during the interaction.

Rahane was bought for the base price of Rs 50 lakh by CSK.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri put his complete support behind the selectors' decision to include Ajinkya Rahane in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final squad and said that an experienced campaigner like him can prove valuable in an on-off encounter.

India will take on Australia in the WTC Final at the Oval on June 7 and incidentally, Rahane's last century came against Australia at Melbourne back in 2020 which proved crucial for his side.

Shastri said that Rahane's IPL form has been good but it is his domestic cricket form that catapulted him into the Test squad.

"I'm so glad he's made it to the side. He batted beautifully in these two-three games he's played in the IPL, has looked in great touch. And let's not forget the experience he has. The moment Shreyas Iyer was injured, you had to look in that direction,"