5 internationals who never played a single game for Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings are one of the most successful franchises in the history of the Indian Premier League. They have qualified for the playoffs in every season they have played. Out of 10 IPL editions, they featured in eight IPL finals and went on to lift the trophy thrice.
The way they have built the franchise is a lesson for every team. The franchise formed a stable core and structured the team around that core. Then started the association with the most important factor for any franchise - the fans.
Chennai Super Kings has a special connection with the fans. The fact that they arranged a train for them to travel to watch the team play is an indicator. The fans do give it back as thousands throng the stadium for practice sessions. Seeing the adulation, players from all over the world have wanted to play for them.
Some players like Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu have felt home at CSK despite representing another team for years. There have been few unlucky ones who were part of the team but couldn't play a single game. Here are five such international stars who never played a game for them.
#1 Andrew Tye
When CSK made a comeback in 2018, the preparations started from the day they became eligible to play. The IPL Governing Council announced that five players from their previous squads could be retained. Fans filled the social media handles with their own choices.
The first three were unanimous choices, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Ravindra Jadeja. Dwayne Bravo was a certain 'Right to match' option. Three players in Faf du Plessis, Brendon McCullum, and Andrew Tye were in contention for the final slot.
Since 2011, Faf was with CSK and had done well at every opportunity. Despite being part of the team for just two years, McCullum's contribution to the team was high. It was natural to see these two names on the list. But it was surprising to see many recommendations from fans to buy back Andrew Tye.
The revealing fact was, Tye never played a single game for CSK. He was part of the 2015 squad but was out of action for the season. CSK tried to get Tye but Kings XI Punjab got him. The Australian went to win the Purple Cap in 2018 while CSK won the cup in 2018.
Also see – IPL 2020 Players
#2 Matt Henry
Matt Henry is a name every Indian cricket fan will remember for the spell he bowled in the semi-finals of the 2019 Cricket World Cup. He dismissed the trio of Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Dinesh Karthik and also the hopes of the billions with his man of the match performance.
Making an impact against India isn't new to Matt Henry. He showed it in his debut international game in 2014. His spell of 4-38 broke the Indian middle-order resulting in an 87-run loss in the ODI. With his performance, he earned the confidence of a fellow New Zealander in Stephen Fleming, who was the coach of Chennai Super Kings.
He was not part of the initial auction list but was added later on with his impressive showing. CSK bought him in the auction in 2014. He was expected to play a part after the team lost its primary all-rounder Dwayne Bravo to injury in the first game of the season.
But he didn't get to play a game. He was retained for the 2015 season only to be benched again.