IPL 2018: 3 Expensive CSK players who left the IPL mid-way 

The Chennai Super Kings have made the headlines both on and off the field over the last decade. Many overseas stars have played for the Yellow army during the first eight years of the IPL.

The Super Kings have created the record for the most-expensive buy on several occasions. The franchise which returned to the league this season after a two-year hiatus had lost some of its expensive buys mid-seasons due to injuries. Let us now look some of the expensive CSK players who left the IPL mid-way due to injuries.

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#3 Dwayne Bravo

Dwayne Bravo

The flamboyant Trinidadian has been an integral part of the IPL since its inception. Bravo has represented three different franchises in the IPL- the Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Lions.

Bravo is one of the very few players to have played for both the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. He donned the Mumbai jersey for the first three editions of the IPL, from 2008-2010. Then, he moved to the Chennai Super Kings in 2011 where he won the title in the very first season. Bravo established himself as one of the key members of the Chennai squad for the next four seasons.

He finished as the highest wicket-taker on two occasions- in 2013 and 2015, picking up 32 and 26 wickets respectively. The Super Kings finished as the runners-up to the Mumbai Indians in both these editions. Bravo was retained by Chennai prior to the 2014 IPL auctions for INR 4 crore.

Bravo, who won the Purple cap in the sixth edition, was injured during Chennai's first game of the seventh season against the Kings XI Punjab. He sustained a shoulder injury and was ruled out the 2014 season. Bravo played only one game for Chennai in which he scored eight runs.

The Chennai Super Kings signed the Aussie all-rounder David Hussey, who went unsold in the auctions with a base price of INR 1 crore, as a replacement to the injured Bravo.

#2 Andrew Flintoff

Andrew Flintoff

Flintoff was signed by the Chennai Super Kings during the 2009 IPL auctions for a then-record price of INR 7.35 crore. Flintoff and his compatriot Kevin Pietersen were the most expensive players of the second edition.

Flintoff just played the first three games for the Chennai Super Kings in that season against the Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils. Flintoff had a forgettable debut against Mumbai, finishing with the figures of 1/44 runs in his four overs and scoring just 24(23).

In his third IPL game against the Daredevils, he sustained a knee injury that ruled him out for the rest of the tournament. Flintoff scored 62 runs and took wickets in three matches for Chennai in the 2009 season. The English all-rounder never came back to the IPL after a disastrous first season.

#1 Kedar Jadhav

Kedar Jadhav

Jadhav has played for four different franchises in the IPL so far- the Delhi Daredevils, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings. The Chennai Super Kings bought Jadhav for INR 7.8 crore during the 2018 IPL auctions, thus making him their most-expensive buy of the eleventh season.

The Super Kings, who were returning to the league after a two-year hiatus encountered the defending champions, Mumbai Indians in the season opener at the Wankhede stadium. Mumbai batted first and set Chennai a target of 166 for victory. Jadhav sustained a grade 2 tear while batting for the Chennai Super Kings but he returned in the last over of the match and sealed Chennai's win with a fabulous six and a boundary in the last two deliveries off the final over.

The Super Kings announced the English all-rounder, David Willey as a replacement to the injured Kedar Jadhav. In the only game he played for the Chennai Super Kings in the 2018 edition, Jadhav scored 24*(22) and played a crucial role in their famous one-wicket win over their arch-rivals.