Ravichandran Ashwin stated that Nitish Rana and Venkatesh Iyer were prime targets for Chennai Super Kings.
Ravichandran Ashwin has made a prediction ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. He suggested that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will aggressively pursue all-rounders Nitish Rana or Venkatesh Iyer. This strategy was discussed in the context of a potential major trade involving Sanju Samson, Ravindra Jadeja, and Sam Curran between CSK and Rajasthan Royals.
In a YouTube video, Ashwin explained that CSK would need to strengthen their left-handed batting options. He specifically highlighted the value of Rana and Iyer.
“CSK can really strengthen this side. The moment Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja have gone there, I see Nitish Rana coming into the auction. So Nitish Rana and Venkatesh Iyer will 100% be on the radar of CSK,” Ashwin said.
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The Suitability Factor For Chepauk
Ashwin elaborated on why these two players are a perfect fit for CSK’s home conditions at Chepauk. He noted the pitch has recently slowed down, making power-hitting more difficult.
“Yes, Ayush Mhatre is a proven commodity. But the Chennai wicket has suddenly started slowing down and holding, especially while batting second. Venkatesh Iyer has played one or two good innings in Chepauk. But he can play the sweep and reverse sweep. Nevertheless, someone like Nitish Rana, who is shorter, can access the square boundaries and use the bounce, and is an attractive option. There is a great chance he will come to CSK.”
Ashwin also outlined a potential new batting order for CSK if the trade is finalized. He envisioned a top order featuring Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad opening, followed by one of the left-handers.
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“If Samson and Ruturaj open, it’ll be the best thing to happen. At 3, they’ll look at Venkatesh Iyer or Nitish Rana. Brevis and Dube will be at 4 and 5 and then they’ll try to insert Cameron Green at 6 because recently he has batted in the middle order for Australia.”
Both Nitish Rana and Venkatesh Iyer could be available after underwhelming performances in IPL 2025. Rana scored 217 runs at an average below 22 for Rajasthan Royals. Iyer averaged 20.28 in 11 games for Kolkata Knight Riders, despite being bought for ₹23.75 crore. Rana was previously acquired for ₹4.2 crore.
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