Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are one of the most consistent sides in the IPL. They have made the playoffs every season bar one in 2020. Their successful run is largely owing to the players they invested faith in. It was the CSK formula that teams like Mumbai Indians successfully replicated. A lot of players flourished with the yellow brigade. But CSK have made certain erroneous decisions when it comes to player releases , let see CSK’s All-time 5 Worst Player Releases.
We look at CSK’s 5 worst players releases of all time:
#5 George Bailey
George Bailey stepped in as a substitute player whenever CSK needed during their initial seasons. The ever-smiling Bailey was always a team man. But he never got a fair run with CSK during their prime run. Punjab acquired Bailey in 2014. They appointed him as captain. Bailey led Punjab to the finals. This remains their best run in the IPL to date. CSK couldn’t utilise Bailey’s potential completely.
#4 Andrew Tye
Andrew Tye was another Australian player that CSK couldn’t make optimal use of. He remained largely under the radar during his CSK days. Tye came into his own in 2018 when he emerged as the purple cap holder scalping 24 wickets for Punjab. He was another such player who fared better for Punjab after leaving CSK.
#3 Wriddhiman Saha
Wriddhiman Saha has remained MS Dhoni’s understudy right through his playing days. It was largely the same during his early IPL days too. He hardly got a chance to prove himself while playing for CSK. Saha’s time finally arrived in 2014 representing Punjab. He topped off a fine season scoring a brilliant century in the 2014 finals. Saha has since then gone to play for SRH with distinction.
#2 Chris Morris
Chris Morris made his IPL debut with CSK. He had a wonderful first season in 2013 picking 15 wickets.CSK shockingly didn’t retain Morris in the next season. He went on to play for Rajasthan in 2015 and Delhi in 2016. Morris had a great run with Delhi in subsequent editions. He became IPL’s most expensive player ever to be brought in the auctions this year when he was picked for INR 16.25 crores. Morris could have been a great asset to CSK had they continued to invest in him.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin
Ravichandran Ashwin’s rise to the top coincided with CSK’s golden run. He became an irreplaceable force for CSK between 2010-15. But to everyone’s surprise, CSK didn’t fight hard to retain Ashwin in the 2018 mega auctions. Punjab managed to bag Ashwin for INR 7.7 crores. They appointed him as captain for two seasons. Ashwin later joined Delhi in 2020. His stocks have since then been on an upswing. Ashwin was one iconic player CSK failed to build on the brand Ashwin. They have a chance to rectify that in 2022. It will be interesting to see if they do so.
