IPL 2018 auction: Top 3 bargains for Chennai Super Kings
The IPL auction has been the key feature of the tournament since its origin and has often decided a team’s fate for that year tournament.
The event was a roller-coaster ride for the franchises which tested the attributes of patience and grit of the bidders. The event showed a trend shift away from purchasing big-name foreign stars, in favour of upcoming players from India and overseas.
Chennai Super Kings, coming back after a two-year suspension following spot-fixing and betting allegations, struck to their usual methods. It continued its patented approach of retaining its core.
Unlike other franchises' lavish spending, CSK used its purse wisely. The management bought 25 players into their squad spending just ₹73.5 Crore (the least amount spent by a franchise in the auction).
Here are the top three players which CSK procured at a bargain of a priceprice.
#3 Harbhajan Singh (₹2 Crore – Base Price)
CSK failed to acquire its star-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin into their squad. But it managed to get the veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh at just over one-fourth of the ₹7.60 crore that Kings XI Punjab paid for Ashwin
The ‘turbanator’ has picked 127 wickets in 136 matches at an eye-catching economy rate of 6.96 over the last IPL decade. Harbhajan is also a handy batsman lower down the order as he enjoys batting and is capable of hitting the big shots in the death overs.
Above all, Bhajji has vast IPL experience and has given his team crucial breakthroughs in crunch situations in the past. CSK would be hoping for several all-round performances from him in the upcoming IPL season.