Chennai Super Kings are very tactical during the auctions. It takes time for them to get going, but they manage to find some really talented players. And that’s exactly what they did this time too, fetching a whopping INR 16.25 crore for the services of England all-rounder Ben Stokes. It was one of CSK’s best buys as they strengthened their squad brilliantly.
While everyone thought they would go for Sam Curran to get him back in their side, it was a surprise when CSK went all-in for Stokes. CSK entered the auction with a purse of INR 20.45 crore and seven slots to fill, including two overseas slots. In the IPL 2023 auction, CSK made some surprise buys and went all out for Stokes.
Ben Stokes and MS Dhoni have played together for Rising Pune Supergiant before. With Dwayne Bravo announcing his retirement from the IPL, the inclusion of Stokes will do wonders for CSK. They also roped in Ajinkya Rahane, who put in some competitive performances last year while representing KKR. With Robin Uthappa out of the script, bringing Rahane into the team was a very tactical move.
There have been instances where CSK have bought uncapped and unknown players during the auction and they have turned out to be game-changing and match-winning players. This time they have acquired the services of Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Ajay Mandal and Bhagath Verma to complete their 25-man squad.
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CSK go to the auction and aim for a fifth title
CSK have won four IPL titles and two Champions Trophy T20 (CLT20) titles under the leadership of the legendary MS Dhoni. The goalkeeper-batsman has led ČSK since 2008, the first year of the tournament. He stepped down from the role ahead of IPL 2022 when Ravindra Jadeja was appointed as his successor, but things did not go according to plan and Dhoni had to return as captain midway through the tournament.
CSK’s season last year was the exact opposite of their 2021 campaign where they lifted the trophy for the fourth time. CSK, who entered the tournament as the defending champions, ended their 2022 campaign in ninth position and failed to make much of an impact. This time around, the franchise will be looking to get back to winning ways in their quest for a fifth title.
Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad became the new opening pair for CSK last season. Interestingly, both players were in good touch with the bat and will be ones to watch out for. Ravindra Jadeja is back with CSK after much speculation and will be Dhoni’s right hand man. English all-rounders Moeen Ali and Ben Stokes will add depth to CSK’s middle order.
Chennai Super Kings Latest Lineup:
MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ambati Rayudu, Subhranshu Senapati, Moeen Ali, Shivam Dube, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Dwaine Pretorius, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Mukesheh Choudhary, Shirethary, Soshithary, Maheesh Theekshana, Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes, Shaik Rasheed, Nishant Sindhu, Kyle Jamieson, Ajay Mandal, Bhagath Varma, Sisanda Magala
CSK Squad 2023 Retained Players List, Role & Price Details:
Retained CSK players:
| PLAYER | ROLE | PRICE |
| MS Dhoni (c) | Batsman/Wicket-keeper | 12 Crore |
| Devon Conway | Batsman | 1 crore |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | Batsman | 6 Crore |
| Ambati Rayudu | Batsman/Wicket-keeper | 6.75 crore |
| Subhranshu Senapati | Batsmen | 20 lakh |
| Moeen Ali | All-Rounder | 8 Crore |
| Shivam Dube | All-Rounder | 4 crore |
| Rajvardhan Hangargekar | Bowler | 1.5 crore |
| Dwaine Pretorius | All-Rounder | 50 lakh |
| Mitchell Santner | Bowler | 1.9 crore |
| Ravindra Jadeja | All-Rounder | 16 Crore |
| Tushar Deshpande | Bowler | 20 lakh |
| Mukesh Chowdhary | Bowler | 20 lakh |
| Matheesha Pathirana | Bowler | 20 lakh |
| Simarjeet Singh | Bowler | 20 lakh |
| Deepak Chahar | Bowler | 14 crore |
| Prashant Solanki | Bowler | 1.2 crore |
| Maheesh Theekshana | Bowler | 70 lakh |
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Team 2023 players list:
| PLAYER | ROLE | PRICE |
| MS Dhoni (c) | Batsman/Wicket-keeper | 12 Crore |
| Devon Conway | Batsman | 1 crore |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | Batsman | 6 Crore |
| Ambati Rayudu | Batsman/Wicket-keeper | 6.75 crore |
| Subhranshu Senapati | Batsmen | 20 lakh |
| Moeen Ali | All-Rounder | 8 Crore |
| Shivam Dube | All-Rounder | 4 crore |
| Rajvardhan Hangargekar | Bowler | 1.5 crore |
| Dwaine Pretorius | All-Rounder | 50 lakh |
| Mitchell Santner | Bowler | 1.9 crore |
| Ravindra Jadeja | All-Rounder | 16 Crore |
| Tushar Deshpande | Bowler | 20 lakh |
| Mukesh Chowdhary | Bowler | 20 lakh |
| Matheesha Pathirana | Bowler | 20 lakh |
| Simarjeet Singh | Bowler | 20 lakh |
| Deepak Chahar | Bowler | 14 crore |
| Prashant Solanki | Bowler | 1.2 crore |
| Maheesh Theekshana | Bowler | 70 lakh |
| Ajinkya Rahane | Batsman | 50 lakh |
| Ben Stokes | All-Rounder | 16.25 crore |
| Shaik Rasheed | Batsman | 20 lakh |
| Nishant Sindhu | All-Rounder | 60 lakh |
| Sisanda Magala | Bowler | 1 crore |
| Ajay Mandal | All-Rounder | 20 lakh |
| Bhagath Varma | All-Rounder | 20 lakh |
Squad Strength – 25 (Indian-17, Overseas-8)
Purse Remaining – INR – 1.5 Crore
