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NEW DELHI: As Chennai Super Kings looked to add players whose skill sets are suited to conditions at the Chepauk, which is known for producing slow and low turners, the five-time champions bought India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for Rs 9.75 crore during the opening day of the auction in Jeddah on Sunday.
Having made his debut for CSK in 2009, Ashwin was a part of the team’s title-winning campaign in 2010 and 2011.
Ashwin returns to CSK after having played for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Rising Pune Supergiants, Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals.
CSK shared a video of Ashwin on their official X handle where Ashwin thanks the team for picking him up.
The video has Ashwin saying in Tamil, “They say life is a circle. From 2008 till 2015, I wore the yellow jersey and played for CSK and I am always indebted to them. Whatever I learnt at CSK, has helped me hugely in my international cricket journey as well till today. It’s almost 10 years since I last played for CSK, 2015 was my last season with CSK. I don’t know how to express it, I was picked by CSK again in this auction.”
Ashwin entered the IPL auction with a base price of Rs 2 crore, and CSK wasted no time making the first move for their original “Super King.”
Ashwin continues, “Words like homecoming, price, etc., are there, but something that is very nostalgic for me is the fact that CSK fought for me in the same way that they fought for me way back in the 2011 IPL auction. It was a trip down memory lane for me. It is a very special feeling. I have seen a lot about our “Anbuden” fans on social media for the last 10 years. When I used to play for RR, I used to feel bad that I am playing against the CSK fans. They won’t shout whether I am bowling or batting. Now once again, to play in front of the same fans, to play in front of that ever growing fandom, I am so looking forward to it. I am so glad to be back, to play alongside MS Dhoni and ofcourse to play under Ruturaj Gaikwad. Thank you once again.”
Lucknow Super Giants joined the bidding war against CSK but eventually bowed out, only for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to step in and compete fiercely.
The battle between RCB and CSK intensified until RCB decided to drop out, paving the way for Rajasthan Royals (RR) to join the fray.
With the bid climbing to Rs 6 crore, CSK re-entered, pushing it to Rs 6.25 crore and then escalating further to Rs 7.25 crore. RR responded strongly, taking it to Rs 7.50 crore and then Rs 8 crore, as both teams recognized the value of having a seasoned spinner like Ashwin, especially with limited experienced options in the market.
The Royals and Super Kings went head-to-head in an intense bidding slugfest. The price eventually soared to Rs 9.75 crore, with CSK securing the bid as RR decided to tap out.
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