Chennai Super Kings look set to repeat their tried-and-tested template, by sticking to familiar faces, with Deepak Chahar being the latest buy-back in the ongoing IPL auction, shelling out Rs 14 crore for him.
Having retained M.S. Dhoni, Moeen Ali, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ravindra Jadeja, CSK bought back its former players Dwayne Bravo (Rs 4.4 crore), Ambati Rayudu (Rs 6.75 crore) and Robin Uthappa (Rs 2 crore).
Chahar sparked off an intense bidding war between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals, with CSK joining in late. Though Rajasthan Royals threw their hat into the ring late into the bidding war, CSK managed to hold off other franchises by sealing the deal at Rs 14 crore.
Shardul Thakur, too, was in great demand, with four teams going all out to win his services. In the end, Delhi Capitals emerged the winner, buying Thakur for Rs 10.75 crore.
The other big buy among the pacers was Prasidh Krishna, who took nine wickets in the recently-concluded three-match ODI series against the West Indies, and was adjudged the man of the tournament. It was a battle between newbies Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals all the way, with the latter snapping up the promising hit-the-deck bowler for Rs 10 crore.
Among foreign signings in the category, Australian tearaway pacer Lockie Ferguson was sold to Gujarat Titans for Rs 10 crore. Another Aussie Josh Hazlewood was picked up by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 7.75 crore, while Englishman Mark Wood went to Lucknow for Rs 7.5 crore.
