Chennai Super Kings is one of the most successful IPL teams, with three titles to its name in 10 seasons that it has played. The most impressive statistic of CSK’s journey has been that the team has always qualified for the second round of the season. MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina have been the cornerstones of the franchise since the first season.
Speaking of CSK’s strategy, their main goal has been to retain the core. They always back the players they have in the team and get the best out of them. However, in this article, we will look at those seven famous players who were a part of CSK but could not make a big impact, and not many fans remember them as former CSK players.
7.Nuwan Kulasekara
Sri Lanka’s right arm medium pacer Nuwan Kulasekara is known for bowling the last ball of ICC World Cup 2011 final that was smashed by MS Dhoni for a six in the Wankhede Stadium.
Kulasekara was a decent bowler and CSK signed him for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. The islander played six matches for the team, scalping five wickets at an economy rate of 7.06.
6.Andrew Flintoff
Regarded as one of the worst signings in IPL history, English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff received a massive deal from Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2009. However, he failed miserably in the IPL.
Flintoff managed to dismiss only batsmen in the three matches that he played, while he scored 62 runs with the willow at an average of 31. His highest score was 24.
5.George Bailey
George Bailey, the former Australian cricket team captain, started his IPL career with the Chennai Super Kings. He achieved more success while playing for Kings XI Punjab, but it was MS Dhoni who spotted him first.
Bailey played four matches for the Super Kings, amassing 63 runs in three innings. His highest score was 30*, whereas his strike rate was just 95.45.
4.Justin Kemp
One of the best white ball all-rounders to emerge from South Africa, Justin Kemp earned an IPL contract from Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2010. The Proteas player represented the MS Dhoni-led franchise in five matches.
However, his performances were not up to the mark as he scored only 26 runs and picked up 3 wickets for CSK. He was released from the team and did not return to the league after that season.
3.Thisara Perera
Another overseas all-rounder who turned for Chennai in the IPL, but not many fans have the knowledge about it is Thisara Perera. The Sri Lankan player has played for almost every franchise in the IPL.
However, his journey began with the Super Kings in 2010. Perera warmed the bench for almost the entire season. He got to play just one game, where he bowled at an economy rate of 19.
2.Jason Holder
Yet another foreign all-rounder to feature on this list is the current West Indies Test skipper Jason Holder. The right-arm quick played his maiden IPL match for the Chennai-based franchise in 2013.
Holder featured in six games for Chennai, where he picked up mere two wickets and both came against the Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium. He later played for KKR and SRH in the IPL.
1.Scott Styris
Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris was a part of the Deccan Chargers squad that won the IPL in 2009. He did not play a match in 2010, but CSK snapped him up in the 2011 IPL Auction.
The right-handed batsman scored just five runs in two games for CSK, while with his right-arm medium pace, he could not scalp a single wicket. Ultimately, he was released from the team.
