CSK is getting paid Rs 50 lakh in every match, the player taking ₹ 1.014 crore for a match is doing half the work.

New Delhi. The condition of Chennai Super Kings, the most successful team of the Indian Premier League, has become bad. Questions are being raised on the strategy of the team which has lost three consecutive matches this season. Before the season, CSK spent Rs 14.2 crore on Prashant Veer. A left-handed batsman who joined the team as a spin bowling all-rounder is not able to do anything special. This player has played two matches so far but was not given a chance to bowl even a single over. In such a situation, questions are being raised that what is the reason behind this wastage of money.

Prashant Veer played against Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore but CSK did not give him a single over in both the matches. Considering his talent in both bowling and batting, money was invested in the auction. Now that the Chennai team is at the bottom of the points table after suffering a hat-trick of defeats, the question is being raised as to when there will be a change in strategy. Why is the all-rounder being made to bat only?

CSK chose all-rounder but he is not bowling.

It is difficult to understand this strategy of Chennai considering that Veer’s official skill set is clear. He is not just in the team as a batsman, but is a truly slow left-arm orthodox option in the IPL. Teams insist on such a profile in the auction because it gives the captain a chance to make changes on both the fronts. He made his debut against Punjab Kings and did not bowl, while CSK was defending total. Despite not bowling in the previous match against RCB, he retained his place and was not used to bowl again.

Wasting money is also real

To understand the real picture of this wastage, the auction fees can be divided among the league stage matches. If ₹14.2 crore is distributed among 14 league matches, Veer’s price comes to approximately ₹1.014 crore per match. If his cost is divided equally between batting and bowling, then the cost of bowling alone comes to around ₹ 50.7 lakh per match. This means that in the two matches, CSK left an estimated bowling value of approximately ₹1.014 crore on the bench while playing in the XI.