He can management the center overs

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has predicted that the deal between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Rajasthan Royals will go ahead. Kaif said the Super Kings may let Jadeja go, knowing they have a quality spinner in Noor Ahmad.

According to ESPNcricinfo, the Super Kings are set to trade Jadeja and Sam Curran to the Royals for Sanju Samson. Meanwhile, Noor joined the Yellow Army ahead of IPL 2025 and was the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 24 scalps in 14 games.

Reflecting on Noor’s impact on CSK, the 44-year-old said in the latest video on his YouTube channel ‘Mohammad Kaif’:

“Since CSK have Noor Ahmad – he bowled quite well in IPL 2025 and took a lot of wickets – Super Kings might be thinking they have a good spinner in Noor even if Ravindra Jadeja is not there. If Noor had not been there, CSK would have fought for Jadeja a lot more. But they have Noor and he can control the middle overs well. So, this trade could go ahead mostly because CSK have Noor Ahmad.”

When asked if MS Dhoni would be willing to let go of Jadeja, Kaif said he would sacrifice the all-rounder’s services if it’s good for the team.

“MS Dhoni backs any player to an extent. It’s team first. If we see that way, even Yashasvi Jaiswal hasn’t done much wrong but he hasn’t been getting opportunities for India in white-ball cricket,” Kaid added. “For Dhoni, making the team win is the biggest goal. If he is coming to play again, he will be thinking CSK finished 10th in the standings last year. He is a man of pride; hence, his biggest goal will be to make the team win another trophy. A team cannot win the trophy based on one player.”

He continued, saying:

“If Jadeja has to be sacrificed for the team’s good, Dhoni will do it. People say how Dhoni operates based on friendships and does it, giving them a couple of extra chances. But it doesn’t mean his focus goes away from winning. The goal is to make CSK a champion. That’s why he will let go of Jadeja if it has to be done. If Dhoni feels he can get a better option for the team, he will take the decision.”

The Super Kings finished at the bottom of the points table for the first time in IPL 2025. They managed only four wins out of 14 games.

“When MS Dhoni first came in 2004, he didn’t practice much either even then” – Mohammad Kaif on CSK star

With Dhoni’s fitness coming into question, Kaif highlighted that the CSK wicketkeeper-batter focuses on smart work instead of practicing for long hours.

“See, there are two types of players. One who goes to practice in the morning and comes in the evening. We will laud his commitment and dedication but the result might not necessarily come. When MS Dhoni first came in 2004, he didn’t practice much either even then,” Kaif said.

“Dhoni has a unique way of catching the ball while keeping and he has developed it himself. No wicketkeeper in history has done this kind of work. If someone tells me Dhoni has done so much hard work to become such a great keeper, then it’s not true,” he added.

He further said that the legendary keeper-batter focuses on specific points to work on in training.

“He used to practice for half an hour but he had complete clarity on the purpose and what he wants to improve on. Even if he does only for half an hour, he did it correctly. The way he collects the ball in front of the stumps, if you drill that into your mind that this needs to be worked on and you are successful, so you have ticked the box there. Dhoni has concentrated on affecting stumpings quickly. Since Dhoni practiced with purpose, he has become a great keeper,” he concluded.

Under the 43-year-old, Chennai have won a record five titles, clinching their first in 2010.