Chennai Super Kings are one of the most consistent and successful teams in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). With three titles to their name, they are second to Mumbai Indians (five) in the list of most number of IPL trophies. There have been worst signings by most experienced teams like Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians over the years.
The Super Kings have qualified for the playoffs on ten occasions out of the eleven seasons they have played, and the reason for their success has been the balance in the squad. CSK have relied on experienced players with a pinch of young talent in the team and have been on point with their planning when it comes to picking players in the auction.
However, there have been several occasions where their trick didn’t work out and the players they signed in have performed miserably and failed to live up to the expectations. On that note, we’ll take a look at six all-time worst signings by Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
1. Wriddhiman Saha
Wriddhiman Saha was picked up by Chennai Super Kings for INR 4.6 million ahead of the IPL 2011 and the reason for his signing was most probably as a backup wicketkeeper-batsman to MS Dhoni. He featured in three seasons for CSK until 2013 and appeared only in 14 matches, scoring a mere 144 runs.
With Dhoni at his prime during that period, it was obvious that Saha wouldn’t get much game time and thus was released before the 2014 IPL.
2. Tim Southee
New Zealand pacer Tim Southee made his IPL debut for CSK after being picked for INR 4.6 million in 2011. Known for his ability to swing the ball away from the batters, he was exposed by the Indian pitches and had a poor outing for the men in yellow.
The pacer featured in only five games for CSK and grabbed only four wickets at a poor economy of 8.73 and an average of 41.50.
He was soon released by the CSK management after the conclusion of IPL 2011 owing to his disappointing performances.
3. George Bailey
George Bailey was roped in by CSK ahead of IPL 2009 for INR 2.46 million. His inclusion in the side was to bring stability in the middle order, but due to the overseas combination, the Australian batter didn’t get much game time. He only featured in three matches that season and one in the next and managed to score just 63 runs in the four outings.
Bailey was retained for IPL 2011 and 2012 but didn’t feature in any of the games and thus, he was released by the CSK management after four poor seasons.
4. Scott Styris
Scott Styris was roped in by CSK ahead of IPL 2009 for INR 9.2 million to bring a balance in the squad. Styris was known for providing deadly finishes lower down the order and providing crucial overs with the ball.
However, the Kiwi all-rounder featured only in two games in 2011, scoring only 5 runs and bowling only one over, conceding 13 runs without taking a wicket. He was unable to perform and was benched for the remainder of the season and the following season.
Styris didn’t fit in with the squad and was eventually released after the IPL 2012.
5. Andrew Flintoff
Andrew Flintoff was one of the best all-rounders of the sport and was picked up by CSK for a hefty price of INR 7.6 crores ahead of the 2009 IPL. Flintoff was anticipated to shine with both the bat and the bowl for CSK, but due to a knee injury, he only played three games. In those three games, he scored 62 runs and took two wickets before departing for England midway through the season to undergo knee surgery.
He was then released by CSK and hasn’t appeared in the IPL ever since then. The player is considered one of the worst signings by Chennai Super Kings.
6. Chamara Kapugedra
Sri Lankan all-rounder Chamara Kapugedra was roped in by CSK in the inaugural IPL for INR 4 million. He was a dependable player in the Sri Lankan jersey and was expected to do the same for CSK too. However, he failed miserably, scoring just 16 runs in five matches and conceding 49 runs without a wicket at an economy of 17.3.
His poor all-round display saw him out of the team after 2008 and he didn’t get an IPL contract ever after that.
