CSK may release Prashant Veer to free up funds
Sources say franchise may try to buy the 20-year-old all-rounder back for a lesser price at the Goa mini-auction
Chennai Super Kings may release one of their two INR 14.2 crore acquisitions. It would not be surprising if Kartik Sharma also gets the boot, but Prashant Veer, the 20-year-old all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh, who was bought amid considerable anticipation and expectation, appears more likely to face the axe.
Both Veer and Sharma were bought for INR 14.2 crore each at the last auction in Abu Dhabi, but there is a perception that Veer did not quite prove to be value for money. The 20-year-old left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh scored 90 runs in six matches (five innings) and failed to take a single wicket. His highest score was 43, against RCB.
Sharma, also 20, and a wicketkeeper-batter from Rajasthan, had a better season, scoring 295 runs in 11 matches at an average of 32.77. His highest score was 71, against LSG in the second half of the season. That is generally considered a reasonable return for a middle-order batter, and the CSK management may eventually decide to retain him. But as a CSK official said, no decision on retentions and releases have been taken.
It is, however, unlikely that the Super Kings will give up on Veer altogether. It is understood that the franchise wants to free up funds for the December 16 auction and there is a possibility that the Zaheer Khan-coached side could release him and then attempt to buy him back at a lower price.
CSK currently have Rs 2.4 crore left in their purse. With the annual increment of Rs 5 crore to the salary cap, their available purse will rise to Rs 7.4 crore. The management is looking to create additional funds by releasing players, and Veer could be one of them. Franchises have until November 15 to announce their retention and releases ahead of the mini-auction in Goa.
Meanwhile, Punjab Kings sources have dismissed speculation that the franchise is planning to trade Marco Jansen, whom Dale Steyn recently hailed as the best cricketer in the world. Top PBKS sources said the franchise has no intention of letting go of the South African, who was adjudged Player of the Series in the recently-concluded three-Test series against Australia.
Jansen had an underwhelming season last year, taking nine wickets in 12 matches at an economy rate of over 10 and an average of more than 50. With the bat, he managed just 51 runs in five innings, hardly impressive returns.
His recent exploits in international cricket should strengthen his cause. For the record, he is the world's No 1 bowler and all-rounder as per ICC Test charts. Whether the Test rankings carry any relevance in the T20 format is a point to ponder, of course. His performances have, however, earned him considerable praise.
“Marco Jansen is currently the best cricketer in the world,” Steyn wrote in a social media post last month. Jansen went on to vindicate Steyn's assessment with an impactful performance in the three-Test series against Australia. PBKS had bought him for Rs 7 crore at the 2025 mega auction.
