5 players Chennai Super Kings signed but they never played a game for CSK
Chennai Super Kings will head into IPL 2022 as the defending champions of the competition. The Chennai-based franchise won their fourth championship in 2021 by beating the Kolkata Knight Riders in the final.
Some of the greatest players in world cricket like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Stephen Fleming, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson, Justin Kemp, Harbhajan Singh, Matthew Hayden, Makhaya Ntini, Andrew Flintoff, Muttiah Muralitharan, Brendon McCullum and several others have donned the Chennai Super Kings jerseys in their careers.
The big names mentioned above got a chance to play multiple matches for the Chennai-based franchise in the IPL, but the following five players did not get a single chance to play for CSK despite receiving a contract from the team.
#1 Irfan Pathan - Joined CSK in IPL 2015
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan was part of multiple IPL franchises during his career. He started his career with the Punjab Kings in 2008 before moving to the Delhi Daredevils in 2011.
After three-year stints with Punjab and Delhi, Irfan joined Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014 and then earned a bid worth ₹1.5 crore from the Chennai Super Kings at the IPL 2015 Auction. Although Pathan had good numbers in T20 cricket, he never found a place in the CSK playing XI.
#2 Kanishk Seth - Won IPL 2018 with Chennai Super Kings
Bengal's left-arm pace-bowling all-rounder Kanishk Seth earned his maiden IPL contract from Chennai Super Kings in 2018. Like Irfan Pathan, Seth warmed the benches the entire season at CSK.
Chennai released Seth after the 2018 title win. In a recent interview, the all-rounder disclosed that he is now playing tennis cricket and local matches in Bengal for a living.
#3 Matt Henry - Signed by CSK in 2014
New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry received a deal worth ₹30 lakh at the IPL Mega Auction 2014 from the Chennai Super Kings. Henry was not so well-known back then.
The Chennai Super Kings did not use his services in the IPL 2014 season but retained him for 2015. Henry warmed the benches in 2015 as well and never returned to the IPL after that tournament.
#4 Andrew Tye - Bought by Chennai Super Kings in 2015
Chennai Super Kings raised many eyebrows when they bid for Andrew Tye at the IPL Auction 2015. Tye had not played a single T20 international for Australia then.
While CSK signed the right-arm pacer, they did not give him a single game. Tye made his IPL debut for the Gujarat Lions in 2017 and won the Purple Cap as part of the Punjab Kings team in 2018.
#5 Kyle Abbott - Joined CSK in 2015
Interestingly, all the names present on the list are fast bowlers. The last player in South Africa's pacer Kyle Abbott who was a member of the Chennai Super Kings team in the year 2015.
Like the aforementioned names, Abbott warmed the benches the entire season. CSK did not participate in IPL 2016, and Abbott moved to the Punjab Kings. The 34-year-old played his last IPL game in 2016 against Rising Pune Supergiant.