The mega auctions of the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) are scheduled to take place in a week’s time and the franchises are looking forward to buying some crucial players during the event. As many as 578 cricketers will go under the hammer on January 27 and 28.

Recently, MS Dhoni expressed that the comeback franchise Chennai Super Kings are keen to buy their premier off-spinner R Ashwin during the auction. But the former India coach Anil Kumble reckons that CSK may not be able to buy him.

Also read: Dhoni wants Ashwin in CSK

CSK retained Dhoni, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja in the player retention event earlier this month. However, they are hoping to reunite their original squad to some extent in the auction. Having retained three Indian players, they cannot use a Right to Match (RTM) card for Ashwin now and will have to buy him in the race with the other franchises. They would also have to take care of the available purse with them and cautiously build the team.

Anil Kumble reckons that Ashwin can lead a team as well and the teams which haven’t declared the name of their captains yet will go aggressively for him. During an analysis show on Star Sports ‘Game Plan – The Marquee List, Kumble said,  “He is a captain material. There are franchises which needed a captain. He is an Indian marquee player. Yes, Chennai would want their local hero to be part of Super Kings, But you never you, he might end up playing for them.”

 Also read: Players CSK will be targeting in auctions

The legendary leggie also went on to add that CSK wouldn’t go beyond INR 4 crore or 5 crore for him and believed that Ashwin will go for a much higher amount. He described, “Chennai would be looking at him [Ashwin] as a spinner to backup Ravindra Jadeja, whom they have already retained. The will have to look at Ashwin as the second spinner. If that is the case, I don’t see them going beyond Rs 4 crore or Rs 5 crore. And I don’t think you will get someone like Ashwin for that amount.”

Ashwin has set his base price at INR 2 crore which is the highest price band for the auction. He is also part of the 16 marquee players according to the auction pool announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday.