IPL 2022: 5 Indian players whose careers picked up after joining CSK

There is always one team in every long-running sporting competition that just makes its players perform better. Sometimes it's the growth-oriented culture, the attitude of the leaders and the coaching staff, and sometimes it's just the tactical nous of the team to say the right thing or make the right move at the right time.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are that team in the IPL. Let's take the example of this season. In their most recent match, Robin Uthappa and Shivam Dube blasted 88 (50) and 95 (46), respectively, to help them beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 23 runs.

Both players, although at the contrasting stages of their careers, had the same story - their raw talent was just not fitting in their previous franchises and the duo were not considered good enough to play for India. A clear role at CSK and consistent chances have upended their confidence and would majorly affect their career trajectory.

Below, we discuss five of the many such players whose careers have picked up after joining the four-time IPL champions.

---

#1 Ravindra Jadeja

CSK signed Ravindra Jadeja in the 2012 auction for ₹9.8 crore after a rare tie-breaker against the now-defunct Deccan Chargers. The signing, which was the most expensive of the season, raised many an eyebrow. The all-rounder was a bonafide "bits and pieces" cricketer before that, failing to cement his place in the national side.

He picked up wickets for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and the now-defunct Kochi Tuskers Kerela, but it wasn't too inspiring. Then came his one-year ban from the IPL for contract regulation issues. All who saw him then knew he needed a shift.

In the decade since, Jadeja has amassed 1546 runs and picked up 113 wickets for CSK. He was brilliant in the 2012 season and soon received his maiden Test cap. A call-up to the 2013 Champions Trophy followed where he was adjudged the "Player of the Tournament."

Today he's CSK's captain, their first retention for IPL 2022, and the third-most capped player for the franchise. The 33-year-old is also the top-ranked all-rounder in Tests besides being a dangerous finisher and a reliable spinner in white-ball cricket.

---

#2 Ambati Rayudu

Ambati Rayudu was already dropped by India after playing 34 ODIs when he joined CSK. His career was only going downward and a 91-run season for Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2017 made matters worse. He was released, with CSK signing him in 2018. The Chennai-based franchise, almost like turning a switch, overturned his career completely.

The middle-order batter recorded career-best numbers - 602 runs at an average of 43.00 and a strike rate of 149.75 - in 2018. He was asked to return to India's ODI squad soon and impressed immediately, becoming the front-runner for the crucial No. 4 spot for the 2019 World Cup. A controversial team selection denied him that chance and his IPL average dropped to sub-30 once again.

---

#3 Shardul Thakur

Now known as 'Lord' Shardul Thakur, the fast-bowling all-rounder sat on the bench for three years for his home franchise Mumbai Indians until 2014. He spent two lackluster years at Punjab Kings (then known as Kings XI Punjab) and then another year at the Rising Pune Supergiants before joining CSK in 2018.

He made his international debut in 2016 but wasn't considered worthy of keeping his place in the national team. His bowling was too predictable and the 'all-rounder' tag was still far off.

In his first season for CSK, Thakur picked up 16 wickets at a brilliant average of 17.50. Under Stephen Fleming's tutelege, he honed his slower balls and polished his lengths to become MS Dhoni's strike bowler in the middle overs. His knack for taking important wickets continued until 2021 when he grabbed 21 scalps. CSK won both the 2018 and 2022 IPL titles, with Thakur emerging as their lead bowler.

A return to the Team India set-up was obvious and became the final step in his transition to 'Lord'. He has won games with both the bat and ball, is near being a regular for India in all three formats and is continuously imbuing a breathtaking ability to make things happen against all odds while never looking short on effort.

---

#4 Ashish Nehra

One of the best left-arm seamers to represent India, Ashish Nehra played three T20I series in 2009-11 before being dropped. The injury-prone bowler had middling campaigns at various franchises in the lead-up to his CSK signing in 2014.

Nehra played only four games that season, but like many others on the list, his first full year at CSK in 2015 was a career-changing one. He picked up a career-best 22 wickets at an average and strike rate of 20.41 and 16.91 respectively. His best IPL figures of 4-10 came in the same season, with his economy rate dropping to 7.24.

The now Gujarat Titans (GT) head coach was part of India's tour of Australia in 2015 based on his performances for CSK. He got to play 19 more T20Is, claiming 21 more wickets to retire on a high.

---

#5 Ruturaj Gaikwad

Ruturaj Gaikwad, the youngest player on the list, didn't come to CSK from another franchise. He made his IPL debut for the Chennai-based franchise in 2020 and got off to a horrible start with scores of 0, five and 0 in his first three innings. Although CSK dropped down the points table, they stuck with him.

The 25-year-old soon showed his class, hitting three consecutive half-centuries in the next three matches and following it up with an Orange Cap-winning tally of 635 runs, including four half-centuries and his maiden IPL hundred, last year.

As former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar said in a recent interview, Gaikwad looked like any other talented first-class cricketer in 2020 before transforming into "a very successful T20 batter."

He was selected for India's second-string tour of Sri Lanka in early 2021 and despite his lowly returns in international cricket and the current IPL season so far, the right-hander looks likely to be Team India's backup opener for the 2022 T20 World Cup.