IPL 2018: 3 players CSK might regret letting go

The countdown to IPL 2018 has already begun. Chennai Super Kings, one of the most successful franchises in the Indian Premier League history, are back in the tournament after a ban of 2 years. They were allowed to 5 retain players (combination of pre-auction retentions and Right to Match (RTM) cards) who fit both the below conditions.

a) Players who were part of CSK in IPL 2015

b) Players who were part of RPS and GL squads in IPL 2017

They retained the trio of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Ravindra Jadeja at the IPL 2018 player retention. They used the Right to Match (RTM) cards to bring back Faf du Plessis and Dwayne Bravo. But they have let some of their star players leave the club.

Without much ado, let’s take a look at the 3 players CSK might regret letting go.

#1 Brendon McCullum

The former Kiwi opener has been one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket over the years. He played 11 games for the Gujarat Lions in IPL 2017 and scored 320 runs at an average of 29.09 and a strike rate of 145.45

He also featured in Big Bash League 2017/18 and Pakistan Super League 2018, where he scored 248 runs and 218 runs respectively. He is in good form at the moment and could have provided the spark for Chennai Super Kings at the top of the order.

However, CSK let him go in the IPL auction. He was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for Rs 3.60 crore. He could prove to be a match winner for RCB in IPL 2018.

#2 Andrew Tye

Tye in action for Perth Scorchers

Andrew Tye is one of the most successful bowlers in T20 cricket at the moment. He made his debut in IPL last season and played 6 games for the Gujarat Lions. He took 12 wickets at an economy of 6.71.

He was the star of the show for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League 2017/18. He took 16 wickets in just 6 games at an average of 12 and a strike rate of 8.8.

He was the leading wicket-taker in the recently concluded Trans-Tasman T20I series 2017/18. He took 10 wickets in the tournament at a strike rate of 12. He is a master of variations and his knuckleballs are still a mystery for the batsmen.

#3 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin was Chennai's trump card in the past

Ravichandran Ashwin, Chennai’s prodigal son, was a star performer for the Chennai Super Kings ever since his debut in 2009. He has played 97 games for CSK and took 90 wickets at an economy of 6.5.

However, he was let go by the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2018 auction. He did not play in IPL 2017 because of injury and lost his place in the Indian ODI and T20I side to Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.

It could turn out to be a massive mistake by CSK. Chepauk pitch was known for assisting spinners and Ashwin has done exceptionally well for them in the ground. On top of that, his international experience would have helped the CSK team to a great extent.