When a team spends a lot of money on a player in an IPL auction or during retention, it is clear that the cricketer will play a huge role in the tournament for the franchise. However, when this does not player take part in the tournament, more often than not, the repercussions are likely to be felt. Chennai Super Kings has been subjected to this occurrence in the last few seasons. In this article, we take a look at three expensive players who did not play a single game for CSK in an entire season in IPL history.
1) Deepak Chahar – INR 14 Cr (IPL 2022)
CSK made Deepak Chahar their costliest ever signing in IPL Auction history in 2022. A bowler who had done well for the franchise, CSK was desperate to retain the services of the cricketer. Moreover, Deepak was also doing well with the bat and hence, his bid hit the roof.
However, before the tournament, the Rajasthan cricketer suffered an injury. It ruled him out for the first half of IPL but during rehab, he had to face another injury. Hence, the player has now been ruled out of the entire tournament. It is a massive blow for CSK considering they were heavily dependent on him.
2) K Gowtham – INR 9.25 Cr (IPL 2021)
K Gowtham is one of the expensive players who did not play a single game for CSK in an entire season in IPL history. In IPL 2020, CSK did not have a right-arm off-spinner and also lacked big-hitters in the XI.
K Gowtham was one cricketer who fit the bill perfectly. Hence, he was purchased at a top amount for IPL 2021. However, Moeen Ali was doing well for the franchise. Hence, the Karnataka man did not get an opportunity to even play a single encounter.
3) Suresh Raina (Retained player) – INR 11 Cr (IPL 2020)
Suresh Raina has been part of the core of CSK ever since the inception of the tournament. He is the team’s highest run-getter but when IPL was shifted to UAE in 2020, Raina backed out of the tournament.
There were a few controversies but it is reported that Raina’s personal issues forced him to withdraw. Nevertheless, the player came back to represent the team in IPL 2021.
