Chennai Super Kings' most expensive buys (X.com)
The thrilling theatre of strategy and bidding wars, a.k.a. the IPL auction, has seen the franchises spend multiple crores for their favoured players. In the past 18 bidding wars (except 2016 & 2017, due to a two-year suspension), the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) IPL strategy has been built on wise but sometimes conservative spending.
That said, whenever the CSK management bids for a player, it is someone who fits best with their present as well as future plans, becoming a core element of their ‘Yellow Army'. In this article, we explore the most expensive players bought by the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL auction over the years.
4) Ravindra Jadeja (INR 9.72 Crore) in 2012
Spending crores on a young gun is often considered a daring move, but CSK defied the odds, acquiring the services of a valuable Indian all-rounder. In one of the most talked-about auction moments, CSK bought Ravindra Jadeja through the secret tie-breaker bid against Deccan Chargers.
This not only marked the beginning of Jadeja's dominance on the field but also the start of the famous Dhoni-Jaddu duo, which, for many years, remained a nightmare for batters.
3) Noor Ahmad (INR 10 Crore) in 2025
Acknowledging the potential and prowess of the 20-year-old Afghan left-arm wrist-spinner, in the IPL 2025 Mega auction, the CSK acquired Noor Ahmad for a whopping 10 Crore INR. The management's decision to acquire Noor was aimed at strengthening their spin attack for the future, and it certainly paid off.
2) Deepak Chahar (INR 14 Crore) in 2022
A contingent led by the smartest owners in the franchise league (till then) risked spending 14-whopping crores on Deepak Chahar in 2022. Intended to bolster the squad with an Indian new ball-fast bowler with the ability to put pressure on the batters in the powerplay, the Super Kings invested heavily in Chahar.
2) Daryl Mitchell (INR 14 Crore) in 2024
At the IPL 2024 auction, New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell made a significant shift from his unsold status in the previous year to become CSK's joint-second most expensive player in the IPL auction over the years.
Fueled by his strong performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup, Mitchell was bought by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for a notable sum of ₹14 crore.
1) Ben Stokes (INR 16.25 Crore) in 2023
English all-rounder Ben Stokes tops the list of CSK's highest-ever auction purchase in 2023 after being bought for ₹16.25 Crore. The reason for spending so heavily on Stokes was a two-pronged aim.
Acquiring Stokes meant securing a world-level match-winner and grooming a potential future leader to succeed MS Dhoni.
