Chennai Super Kings are one of the most decorated franchises in cricket history. They have won four IPL titles and two Champions League T20 trophies as well. Over the years, CSK have given a platform to multiple lesser-known players to showcase their talents to the world.
However, not all players received equal opportunities because only 11 players can be a part of the playing XI. CSK released the benched players and the following five of them became match-winners for other teams.
1. Sai Kishore – Released by CSK, Game-changer for Gujarat Titans
Chennai Super Kings kept R Sai Kishore on the bench for multiple seasons. He did not play a single match. This year, he made his debut for the Gujarat Titans and played an important role in the team’s victories against Lucknow Super Giants and Chennai Super Kings.
2. Thisara Perera – Released by CSK, Match-winner for SunRisers Hyderabad
Former Sri Lankan captain Thisara Perera made his IPL debut for Chennai Super Kings in 2010, but he was released only after one match. Perera later won matches for other teams in the league.
3. George Bailey
George Bailey played his career’s first few games for Chennai before moving to Punjab Kings in 2014. He led PBKS well and guided the team to their only runner-up finish in the tournament’s history.
4. Tim Southee
Tim Southee played five matches, scalping four wickets for CSK in 2011 and was benched for remaining games. Later in his career, Southee won multiple matches for his team while wearing the Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders jerseys.
5. Andrew Tye
Andrew Tye was with Chennai Super Kings in 2015. He warmed the benches for the full season. In 2017, he took a hat-trick for the Gujarat Lions, while in 2018, he won the Purple Cap award while representing the Punjab Kings team.
