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IPL 2020: Chennai Super Kings’ Investment Breakup For Each Department

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Photo source: BCCI/IPL

While we customarily study the overall spending of a team from a player-based perspective, we often miss observing it from a departmental panorama. When done, this gives plenty of insights into what goes into auction-strategy meetings of the franchises.

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In IPL, every team is given an equal purse, and it is up to the franchises on how they liquidate it. While the choice of retaining players is always accessible, a franchise’s real execution befalls at the auctions. There are plenty of dynamics involved, and all of it has to be counted while building your squad.

We start off our case study by taking aboard one of the most successful teams in the competition – Chennai Super Kings. While we have seen the franchise dictate clear strategies on the field, their investment breakup also tells a lot about their ideas and preparations.

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Note: Both Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh have not been considered in the investment breakup, as the duo is not part of IPL 2020.

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Batsman – INR 29 Crores (40%)

It is inescapable that teams spend heavily on their batting line-up. While bowlers often help you win trophies and the crunch games, it is the batsmen who must do well to accumulate points on the way to the playoffs.

CSK have mirrored the trend in this aspect. While their top investment is obviously MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav comes in as the second-most expensive buy in this section. The success of CSK lies in the fact that they have made a few shrewd picks in this segment. Both Faf du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu have joined the team for INR 1.6 Cr and INR 2.2 Cr respectively; a massive steal in the current market.

Top Investments – MS Dhoni (INR 15 Cr) and Kedar Jadhav (INR 7.8 Cr)

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All-Rounders – INR 23.4 Crores (32.5%)

MS Dhoni is a big fan of multi-utility players, and the management has obliged to the captain’s wants. Anyways, all-rounders are always going to be game-changers in this format.

While Ravindra Jadeja was retained by CSK, Dwanye Bravo was picked at the auctions. Both these gentlemen have served well for the outfit, and the investment seems justified. The Chennai-based franchise also hired young English all-rounder Sam Curran for INR 5.5 Cr. This purchase looks to be in accordance with CSK’s plans for the future.

Top Investments – Ravindra Jadeja (INR 7 Cr) and Dwanye Bravo (INR 6.4 Cr)

Spinners – INR 12.95 Crores (18%)

Chepauk is a spinners’ paradise, and hence, CSK went in with plenty of spinners in their armory. IPL 2020’s relocation to UAE might not have hampered much of the team’s plans as the pitches in the Arab cities also assist the slower bowlers.

Piyush Chawla consumes the bulk of the budget allocated to the spinners. He was also the team’s costliest buy at the IPL 2020 auctions. The team had also retained Karn Sharma, a leggie who had cost them INR 5 Cr in 2018 auctions. Imran Tahir is the best investment as he cost just INR 1 cr for the franchise.

Top Investments – Piyush Chawla (INR 6.75 Cr) and Karn Sharma (INR 5 Cr)

Pacers – INR 6.5 Crores (9.5%)

CSK had outlined their strategies around the world-class spinners in their rooster. Hence, they were anyways not going to invest much in the pace-bowlers’ category. Therefore, their least investment comes in this department.

Shardul Thakur is the costliest pacer for CSK at INR 2.6 cr. In the 2020 auctions, CSK hired the services of Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood at INR 2 Cr. It is surprising to note that CSK’s best pacers, Deepak Chahar and Lungi Ngidi just cost them a combined INR 1.3 Cr. While the Indian swing bowler had an INR 0.8 Cr price-tag, the talented South African just came for half a crore Indian Rupees.

Top Investments – Shardul Thakur (INR 2.6 Cr) and Josh Hazlewood (INR 2 Cr)