'Chennai Super Kings can use Ravichandran in a number of ways': Stephen Fleming

Stephen Fleming. Pic/AFP

Chennai Super Kings can use Ravichandran Ashwin in "a number of ways" in the IPL 2025, said head coach Stephen Fleming after the five-time champions completed the venerable spinner's homecoming at the mega auction here on Sunday. Ashwin was bought by CSK for Rs 9.75 crore during the opening day of the auction, as CSK looked to add players whose skill sets are suited to conditions at the Chepauk, which is known for producing slow and low turners. Having made his debut for CSK in 2009, Ashwin was a part of the team's title-winning campaign in 2010 and 2011 and has also also played for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Rising Pune Supergiants, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals.

"It was a bit of a homecoming for Ashwin but he's a world class bowler. Like Venky talked about, it's not so much the price, you look at how someone fits in and there's an emotional attachment of Ashwin with Chennai, so it is a nice fit," Fleming said at a press conference. He was seated with Kolkata Knight Riders' managing director Venky Mysore. "He has still got a very good skill set but the bowler's numbers are fantastic, he's obviously towards the latter part of his career but the experience that he brings is handy with the bat and we think we can use him in a number of ways," Fleming added.

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Apart from Ashwin, CSK also bought Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad, who has played in the IPL for Gujarat Titans, for Rs 10 crore. Fleming said the move was aimed at addressing specific bowling plans of the team. "(The choice of) Noor Ahmed was looking more at the middle to attack, so if we do get turning conditions, then we've got an opportunity to keep taking wickets," he said. "We've got (Matheesha) Pathirana at the end which is the death aspect and we've just identified that the way the game's going, your bowling has to be really specific and you have to take wickets to slow teams down."

"If you're just trying to contain then some of the hitting power of players these days will just take the game away from you, so we've tried to be smart with our options given our retained players and add some variation which maybe we lacked a little bit last year," he said. Fleming said CSK were surprised that not many teams showed interest in New Zealand star Rachin Ravindra, whose career graph has seen a big spike in the last two years.

"Yeah we were, we thought (that) Rachin, given his success in the Test series that often counts " the performances leading up to an IPL " but we obviously experienced the IPL with us last year," he said. "To pick him up at what I think is a low price and continue his development, he could be a player with that skill set. "He does the same as (Ravindra) Jadeja at the moment, but looking forward there could be an opportunity, so if his development continues, he's a very silky player and we're really happy to have him at that price," Fleming said.

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