I had a good look at the CSK squad- not very inspiring, is it? Apart from MSD and Ashwin, they dont seem to have any power hitters in their midst. Conway and Ravindra are there, but they aren't what one would classify as the likes of Hussey and Hayden. I am not counting Jadeja as he seems to be simply playing backyard cricket here.
With the forced withdrawal of Gaikwad, CSK had the perfect opportunity to get a batsman who has shown great reliability and someone with captaincy credentials as well. Their best bets were Kane Williamson and Steve Smith. I'd have gone for Smith, purely cause he has worked well with MS, Fleming and Ash when this team was banned. The other option for them was Bairstow, can create a huge impact at the very top, something that has been lacking with CSK this entire season.
