The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) paid a whopping 16.25 crore rupees for Ben Stokes at the IPL auction in 2023. They didn’t need to be asked twice to do so.
A number of cricket fans think that Stokes doesn’t deserve such a high price tag, especially if he doesn’t get the role he wants at the franchise. However, given that it was a mini-auction in which player availability was a major topic of discussion, it made sense for CSK to pay the money.
However, other players on the roster were signed either before or during the 2022 roster reshuffle for sums that arguably defy common sense. Here are three CSK players whose IPL 2023 contracts are too expensive.
#3 MS Dhoni
Despite being arguably the greatest captain ever, Dhoni’s batting peak has long since passed. The former Indian skipper appears to be at the end of his career as a top-level cricketer, as evidenced by his subpar batting performances in recent IPL seasons.
Dhoni currently holds 12 crore rupees in CSK’s auction pot, but neither his performance nor his earnings have justified that sum. Although it is possible to argue that his captaincy is the only thing that keeps a weak Super Kings roster in the IPL, he was not even the captain when he was announced as the franchise’s second retention prior to the mega-auction in 2022.
Since Dhoni succeeded Ravindra Jadeja, the franchise has returned to normalcy. However, for the 41-year-old to be able to justify spending this much of CSK’s budget, he will require significantly different batting returns in the upcoming season.
#2 Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar hasn’t played a game for CSK since being signed at the IPL 2022 mega-auction for 14 crores. The all-rounder has struggled with fitness issues over the past few months as well. The injury kept him out of the entire previous campaign.
Chahar is a useful T20 all-rounder, but he is undoubtedly not deserving of such a colossal contract. His batsmanship hasn’t shown much promise at the highest level, so the Super Kings probably wouldn’t be comfortable using him above No. Eight in the lineup.
Chahar is a potent powerplay wicket-taker with the bat, but he offers little else during the innings. A cricketer who isn’t reliable enough to be on a contract worth 14 crore rupees is a result of that and the 30-year-old’s injury concerns.
#1 Ambati Rayudu
The controversy surrounding Ambati Rayudu’s CSK career has intensified recently. The batter announced his retirement and then appeared to revoke it. He appears ready to represent the Men in Yellow in the IPL 2023.
In the IPL 2022 mega-auction, CSK purchased Rayudu for 6.75 crore rupees, a move that was criticized by both fans and experts. Sadly for the 37-year-old, he did not do himself much favors by putting together just 274 runs in the previous season, scoring at an average of 24.91 and striking out 122.32 times.
Rayudu no longer participates in international cricket, and his domestic performances have suggested that he has little left to give. CSK’s budget won’t be impacted by the middle-order batter’s reduced price, but that’s not the situation right now.