Ranking CSK's 5 best buys in IPL 2025 Auction ft. Noor Ahmad
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had an eventful and traditional outing at the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) Auction in Jeddah across two days on November 24 and 25. Along expected lines, they went all out for their former players, made some unexpected and shrewd signings to set their squad for the next cycle of the competition.
CSK went into the auction with a purse of INR 55 crore after retaining five players at the end of the 2024 season. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and experienced all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja were the top picks at INR 18 crore, Shivam Dube and Matheesha Pathirana followed up with INR 12 and 11 crore respectively, while veteran wicket-keeper MS Dhoni was retained as an uncapped player for INR 4 crore.
The mega auction was crucial as they have a major transition on the horizon, and had to assemble their squad accordingly. At the end, they managed to cover most of the bases and plug all of the holes to forge an exciting squad that can push for more titles.
On that note, considering all factors like bargain for money, impact, long-term potential, and requirement, let us rank CSK's 5 best buys in the IPL 2025 Auction.
#5 Khaleel Ahmed
With Matheesha Pathirana being the sole pacer on the retention list, CSK had to construct their entire Indian pace unit, a vital and underrated cog to their success. With no guarantees over re-securing the services of Tushar Deshpande and Deepak Chahar, CSK had to consider other alternatives as well.
CSK set the tempo for the auction by placing the very first bid for Arshdeep Singh, showcasing that a left-handed new ball bowler was high on their agenda. While they were not even close in that particular race, they sought a solid alternative in the form of Khaleel Ahmed.
The left-arm pacer was among the best exponents of the new ball during the previous season, and a swing bowler in the playing XI is paramount for CSK's plans. Khaleel also provides versatility to the bowling attack with his left-arm angle, while his obvious ability to move the ball both ways being a key asset as well. His price tag of INR 4.80 crore also comes across as a justified one, considering the steep prices the other Indian pacers went for at the auction.
#4 Rachin Ravindra
One of CSK's target for their RTM, Rachin Ravindra, was bought back for INR 4 crore, which means back-to-back bargains for CSK at the auction for the New Zealand all-rounder.
He showed glimpses of what he is capable of in flashes during his maiden season with CSK in 2024. He is one of the brightest prospects on the roster, and could go a long way, perhaps even becoming Conway's successor in the future.
His ability to play as an opener or at No.3, and his high tempo of scoring runs, along with his ability to roll his arm over, makes him a brilliant signing, especially in the long run.
#3 Rahul Tripathi
The middle-order is a sacred place for CSK. Several game changers like Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali, and Ajinkya Rahane have operated and made an impact as the backbone of the team with that particular role in the past.
With Shivam Dube pencilled in at No.5, CSK still needed a candidate in the middle-order, someone who could maintain the tempo in the middle overs, and Tripathi's signing fits in there like a hand in a glove.
The right-handed batter has played alongside several CSK players in the past through his stint with the Rising Pune Supergiant. His no-nonsense approach when it comes to batting bodes well for CSK, who were on the lookout for an aggressor in the middle order to capitalize the phase after the powerplay.
Futhermore, a price tag of just INR 3.40 crore makes it a solid and underrated signing.
#2 Noor Ahmad
The fact that GT doubled the winning bid through RTM from INR 5 crore to INR 10 crore showcased how desperately they wanted to keep a hold of the emerging spinner.
Noor Ahmad was perhaps destined to be in CSK after he picked up figures of 3-49 for Afghanistan in the historic 2023 ODI World Cup group-stage clash against Pakistan at the Chepauk. It slowly led to a spell with CSK's sister franchise, the Texas Super Kings during MLC 2024, where he finished with nine wickets in just 4 matches.
The left-arm wrist spinner is among the very few of his kind, and with age on his side, CSK have secured their spin department, and perhaps crowned a potential spin spearhead for the future with both Jadeja and Ashwin ageing.
While the INR 10 crore price tag may seem alarming, Noor Ahmad's rapid rise in world cricket, coupled with the fact that there was absolutely no hesitation from CSK to match that price showed that the franchise were absolutely set on it.
#1 Sam Curran
It is his exploits for CSK that brought Sam Curran into white-ball prominence within the national team, and also fetched him a historic INR 18 crore bid by PBKS. It is not the scrawny left-arm all-rounder that CSK are bringing back, a lot has transpired in Curran's time away from the franchise.
He has evolved into a much better pinch hitter, well capable of playing higher up the order, let alone a floater. His death bowling skills might be the biggest asset that drove CSK to bring him back again.
He is an upgrade over Tushar Deshpande and Mustafizur Rahman by giving the side some batting depth, making him the ideal partner for Matheesha Pathirana at the back end of the innings.