Chennai Super Kings has a history of handling their players very well. We have hardly seen players flop in the franchise, and this is as well one of the reasons why CSK has been so successful.
The Chennai-based outfit also strongly favors retaining a core set of players for every campaign. This way, not much thought needs to be given to the team chemistry at the start of every season.
However, IPL rules are such that it is almost impossible to retain all players part of your successful team. Invariably, owing to the auction dynamics, a few players go past the hands of the franchise. In this article, we focus on such players. We talk about six ex-CSK boys who are now plying their trade at other franchises this season.
1. Ravichandran Ashwin
Of course, at the top of the list, there is only one name that can be. It is none other than Ravichandran Ashwin. A CSK legend of sorts, a couple of years ago, the franchise had to lose him owing to his price-tag. Nevertheless, Ashwin and CSK enjoyed a great relationship on and off the pitch, and we are sure that the latter still remains.
At the moment, the veteran off-spinner is working his magic up north at Delhi Capitals. The team’s lead spinner, as it stands, Ashwin might as well bag an IPL medal outside of CSK this season. Let’s see how it goes.
2. Chris Morris
A few years ago, Chris Morris was active in the CSK line-up. It was with this franchise that Morris broke into the scene. MSD made use of the South African very intelligently and brought the best out of him. Later, the tall all-rounder switched to Team Delhi, where he played for a few seasons.
At the pre-season auctions, Morris was chased heavily by many franchises. However, RCB bagged him at INR 10 cr, thereby making him their costliest purchase. Unfortunately, though, a niggle has not allowed Morris to make his presence felt from the very start of this campaign.
3. Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Patel was part of CSK for the first few years of the tournament. He didn’t get many chances as MS Dhoni was the preferred option behind the stumps. However, whenever an opportunity arose, the Gujarat player did well to prove his credentials.
The talented player then made move to a number of franchises before settling down at Bengaluru. A crucial part of the RCB camp, Parthiv is yet to have a go this season. However, there is a chance that the veteran could come into the team in the latter stages of the tournament.
4. Wriddhiman Saha
After Parthiv Patel left CSK, Wriddhiman Saha came into the squad as the wicket-keeper. However, Saha didn’t have to do much for this squad. He got fewer chances than Parthiv, and on most occasions, he was warming the bench.
Later on, though, Saha rediscovered himself in the T20 format. After a splendid season with Kings XI Punjab, Saha is now part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad. Like Parthiv, Saha is also struggling to find opportunities in his team.
5. Mohit Sharma
Mohit Sharma can be regarded as one of CSK’s gifts to Indian cricket. He broke into the scene under the leadership of MSD and was the leader of the team’s bowling unit for a while. However, he lost steam as seasons passed by and eventually had to leave the franchise. Nevertheless, in the auctions of 2019, CSK made an INR 5 crore bid to get back the pacer to the team. Although they were successful in signing him, the performances of Mohit did not impress the management.
Delhi Capitals purchased the Haryana pacer at the 2020 auctions. Mohit played the first game of the season for DC but hasn’t got a chance since then. He will be hoping to prove his doubters wrong whenever that chance arises again.
6. Pawan Negi
It was only after his stint with CSK that Pawan Negi made news in the domestic circles. The Delhi all-rounder also made his India debut after his successful campaign with CSK. Dhoni must be credited for utilizing him effectively.
Although the player had some decent performances after leaving CSK, none of them stood out. He is currently at RCB, acting as backup to Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar.
