IPL Auction: Dhoni has a great relation with Chawla, says Stephen Fleming

Kolkata, Dec 19: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming on Thursday said they rate seasoned leggie Piyush Chawla very highly, adding England all-rounder Sam Curran has a great attitude after they roped in the pair at the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction here.

Chawla was roped in for a whopping Rs6.75 crore by three-time champions CSK, making him the most expensive Indian buy so far. Chawla was not retained by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) despite him bowling more overs than chinaman India bowler Kuldeep Yadav.

"We rate him (Piyush) very highly. Captain has great relationship with him. He has proven that he is a quality leg-spinner. We always favour spin at our home ground which is spin dominant. A lot of spinners isn't a bad thing," Fleming said.

The M.S. Dhoni-led side saw off competition from Kings XI Punjab and acquired the services of the 2011 World Cup winner, who could be effective on slow tracks at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

CSK started with a purse of just Rs14.60 crore with five (three domestic, two overseas) slots remaining. Curran was snapped up for Rs5.50 crore.

"We did not have a lot of money we had to be smart. Sam Curran has a great attitude to the game, he has done well against us in the past. He is playing well for England. He fits in nicely with (Dwayne) Bravo," said former New Zealand captain Fleming.