When it comes to making shrewd purchases at the auction, Chennai Super Kings is one of the best franchises around. Year on year, the management makes certain ‘steals’ at the auctions, which invariably pay off.
For IPL 2020 too, CSK has a record of few such recruitments. Hence, we arrived at the idea of building a squad that takes very little amount from the purse. A total budget of INR 10 crore is our target, and let us now look at how the team has shaped up:
Openers: Faf du Plessis (INR 1.6 cr) and Murali Vijay (INR 2 cr)
In this season as yet, South African captain Faf du Plessis has been the CSK’s best batsman. He has been extremely consistent, and it seems the run would continue until the end of the campaign. It is shocking to note that CSK paid just INR 1.6 cr to buy Faf at the auctions. For a player of his caliber, this fee is peanuts and hence, he makes into the XI as the captain and the most important batsman.
Partnering Faf at the top will be Team India veteran Murali Vijay. Agreed that Vijay has been out of touch in recent years, but the man needs just a few good minutes on the pitch to get back into form.
Middle-Order: Ruturaj Gaikwad (INR 0.2 cr), Ambati Rayudu (INR 2.6 cr) and N Jagadeesan (WK) (INR 0.2 cr)
This middle-order costing just INR 3 cr will be a blessing in the circumstances. Ambati Rayudu can win you multiple games on his own, and him being price-tagged at INR 2.6 cr is a ‘steal’. Similarly, Ruturaj Gaikwad and N Jagadeesan are also good batsmen to man the middle-order. In fact, if they get decent opportunities, they could as well be a part of the senior CSK XI in the future.
From the perspective of the team balance too, these three fit the bill. Ruturaj is someone who can anchor an innings very well, and hence, he is at No.3. Rayudu is the fulcrum of the middle-order, and him coming at No.4 will add stability to the unit. N Jagadeesan is a good wicket-keeper batsman to sit at No.5 in the XI.
All-Rounders: Mitchell Santner (INR 0.5 cr)
Mitchell Santner would easily walk into most teams in the competition. He is a fine off-spinner, and when it comes to his batsmanship, he is more than useful. If Ravindra Jadeja misses out on any games for CSK, Santner is the automatic replacement. CSK spent just INR 0.5 cr on the Kiwi, and hence, he comes into our budget XI.
Pacers: Deepak Chahar (INR 0.8 cr), Lungi Ngidi (INR 0.5 cr) and KM Asif (INR 0.4 cr)
CSK has a world-class attack that was purchased at a very low price. Deepak Chahar is one of the best powerplay bowlers in the tournament, and he came to the team at just INR 0.8 cr. While he will be the leader of the pack, there is adequate support in the form of Lungi Ngidi. The South African speedster is unplayable on his day and will form a great partnership with Deepak. To aid these two, we have KM Asif, the Kerala left-armer who is known for his variations. He will give a multitude of options for the captain in this department.
Spinners: Imran Tahir (INR 1 cr) and R Sai Kishore (INR 0.2 cr)
At INR 1.2 cr, this squad has a spin-bowling unit that can as well play for a team in IPL. Imran Tahir, despite his age, is still one of the best T20 spinners on the planet. Piyush Chawla’s presence in the team might have restricted his opportunities, but as the tournament progresses, we could see Tahir make a comeback to the playing XI. Along with Tahir, there would be a young spinner from Tamil Nadu, R Sai Kishore, who will be part of this team. The rookie has been doing well in the domestic circuit, and he will be a great option to have in the playing XI.
