Chennai Super Kings has had only two captains in its history. Also, when it comes to releasing and retaining players, the franchise is one of the shrewdest around. There is a keen eye for talent, and hence, we hardly see cricketers who leave CSK enjoying a purple patch elsewhere. Yet, there are a few who became captains in other franchises. In this article, we take a look at four popular players released by CSK who later captained a different side in the Indian Premier League.
1) Parthiv Patel (Kochi Tuskers Kerala)
Parthiv Patel is one of the players released by CSK who later captained a different side in the competition. In the first three seasons of the competition, Parthiv was part of the CSK outfit. Across 26 innings, Parthiv scored 516 runs at an average of 21.50. After the end of IPL 2010, CSK released the wicket-keeper to the auctions.
The newly arrived team Kochi Tuskers Kerala was Parthiv Patel’s next home. KTK was part of IPL for only one season in 2011. Although Mahela Jayawardene led the franchise for 13 games, after he left, it was the Gujarat player who took over. He was at the helm for a game, but KTK lost that match.
2) George Bailey (Punjab Kings)
Right from his time in domestic cricket, George Bailey was known for his captaincy skills. So much that when he made his international debut for Australia, he was the captain of the squad. This happens to be one of the rarest occasions in the history of the game. When it comes to IPL, Bailey started his career at CSK. He was with the franchise in IPL 2009 before being released.
Bailey had to wait for a few more years to come back to IPL. In 2014, he joined Punjab Kings and led them to the finals. He was also the captain of the squad in 2015. Hence, across two seasons, Bailey led Punjab for 35 encounters.
3) Murali Vijay (Punjab Kings)
Murali Vijay was an important part of the CSK outfit that dominated in the initial seasons of the tournament. A swashbuckling opener, Vijay played for CSK from 2009 to 2013. He then went to Delhi before settling at Punjab Kings between 2015 and 2017.
It is in Punjab that Vijay captained for the first time in IPL. Although he was an experienced cricketer, as a captain, he had less exposure. It showed, as, in eight matches, the Tamil Nadu man could help Punjab win just three games. Vijay came back to CSK but did not enjoy the form he once experienced at the franchise. He was subsequently released by the unit.
4) R Ashwin (Punjab Kings)
Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the popular players released by CSK who later captained a different side in the Indian Premier League. The off-spinner from Chennai was one of the cult members of the franchise. At CSK, Ashwin honed his skills and went on to represent India. Since then, he has arguably been the best off-spinner that the country has produced.
During CSK’s ban from the competition, Ashwin represented Rising Pune Supergiants. In 2018, CSK tried to sign him, but the player ended up at Punjab Kings. The franchise appointed him as the captain of the team. In 28 games as the captain, Ashwin could help the team win 12 matches. A year ago, before IPL 2020, Punjab traded R Ashwin to Delhi Capitals. He has been with the Delhi outfit for two seasons now.
