Chennai Super Kings (CSK) CEO Kasi Viswanathan has opened up on the franchise's strategy heading into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 Mega Auction, scheduled to be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 24 and 25.
With top Indian players like KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, and Rishabh Pant entering this year's auction, CSK’s Kasi Vishwanathan acknowledged that the franchise may struggle to compete with other teams for these big names.
“We had detailed discussions with captain Ruturaj, MS Dhoni, and coach Stephen Fleming before finalizing the retentions. We were all aligned in our decision to retain players who played a crucial role in the team’s growth and stability in recent years,” Kasi shared during a conversation with former CSK player Ambati Rayudu on Provoke TV.
"It was very easy to decide on the retentions -- Gaikwad, Jaddu, MS, Shivam Dube and Matheesha Pathirana. But we knew that if we retain these players, we would have a lesser purse to go into the auction. We knew that we wouldn't be able to compete with the other teams when it comes to the best of the Indian players. I mean, we will still try, but i don't think we'll be able to get them at the auction," he added. PBKS have the biggest purse balance of all, at Rs 110.5 crore, having only retained two uncapped players. RCB, at Rs 83 crore and LSG at Rs 69 crore, are the next in line with the biggest purse to spend in the auction. Gujarat Titans, with INR 69 crore left to spend, could also be in the race to sign Pant.
