3 CSK players who are on overpriced contracts for IPL 2023

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) didn't need to be asked twice to splash the cash for Ben Stokes at the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction as they acquired him for a whopping ₹16.25 crore.

Several sections of the cricketing fraternity are of the opinion that Stokes isn't worth such an astronomical price tag, especially if he isn't given his ideal role at the franchise. But it made sense for CSK to fork out the cash since it was a mini-auction in which player availability was a major talking point.

Other names on the roster, however, were signed either prior to or during the 2022 reshuffle for amounts that arguably defy conventional wisdom. Here are three CSK players who are on overpriced contracts for IPL 2023.

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#3 MS Dhoni

England v India - 2nd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

MS Dhoni is arguably the greatest captain the game has ever seen, but his batting prime passed him by a long time ago. The former Indian skipper has seen underwhelming batting returns over the last few IPL seasons and appears to be on his last legs as a top-level cricketer.

Dhoni currently commands ₹12 crore of CSK's auction purse, and both his role and his returns haven't justified that number. It's arguable that his captaincy is the only thing that keeps a weak Super Kings roster afloat in the IPL, but when he was announced as the franchise's second retention ahead of the 2022 mega-auction, he wasn't even the skipper.

Dhoni has since taken over from Ravindra Jadeja and normalcy has resumed in the franchise. However, the 41-year-old needs vastly different batting returns in the upcoming season to warrant taking up such a portion of CSK's budget.

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#2 Deepak Chahar

New Zealand v India - 3rd ODI

Since being signed at the IPL 2022 mega-auction for ₹14 crore, Deepak Chahar hasn't played a single game for CSK. The all-rounder missed the entirety of the previous campaign with an injury and has struggled with fitness concerns over the last few months as well.

Chahar is a handy T20 all-rounder but surely isn't worthy of such a monstrous contract. His batting is relatively unproven at the highest level, and the Super Kings would probably not be comfortable using him any higher than No. 8 in the lineup.

With the ball, Chahar is a potent powerplay wicket-taker but offers little at the other stages of the innings. Add that to the 30-year-old's injury concerns, and you have a cricketer who isn't reliable enough to be on a contract worth ₹14 crore.

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#1 Ambati Rayudu

New Zealand v India - ODI Game 5

Ambati Rayudu's CSK career has been clouded by controversy lately, with the batter announcing his retirement and then appearing to revoke the same. He seems all set to play for the Men in Yellow in IPL 2023.

Rayudu was bought by CSK in the IPL 2022 mega-auction for ₹6.75 crore, a decision that was frowned upon by fans and experts alike. Unfortunately for the 37-year-old, he didn't do himself many favors by managing just 274 runs in the previous campaign at an average of 24.91 and a strike rate of 122.32.

Rayudu isn't active in international cricket anymore and his domestic performances have suggested that he doesn't have much left in the tank. The middle-order batter should ideally be on a cut-price deal whose effects CSK won't feel on their budget, but that's not the case right now.