Chennai Super Kings are often labeled “Dad’s Army” because of their preference for players over 30. But this year’s IPL auction told a different story. Chennai spent nearly ₹30 crore on two players whose combined age is not even 40. Kartik Sharma is just 19, while Prashant Veer one of the most expensive uncapped players in the auction was also picked at a high price.
Prashant caught the attention of scouts during the Uttar Pradesh Premier League. After releasing Ravindra Jadeja, CSK were looking for a left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder. Prashant impressed while playing for Uttar Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament. Whether he can truly become Jadeja’s replacement remains to be seen, but fans have already started calling him “Jadeja 2.0.” Cricket has been his passion since childhood, and although Prashant was confident of getting an IPL team, he never imagined such an intense bidding war. When the auction was on, he was returning on the team bus from Uttar Pradesh’s Vijay Hazare Trophy camp with teammates like Rinku Singh and Sameer Rizvi. “I knew some team would pick me, but I never expected this kind of money,” he said, adding that everyone on the bus was thrilled.
Prashant is especially happy to join CSK, his favorite IPL team. He thanked the CSK management for showing faith in him and expressed excitement about playing for the franchise. Another big reason for his excitement is the chance to share a dressing room with MS Dhoni. “I’ll try to learn as much as I can from Dhoni bhai. I’ve never met him before,” he said.
Coming from a financially modest family, Prashant acknowledged the crucial support he received from Rajeev Shukla and the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association. “My father doesn’t earn much. Rajeev Shukla sir supported me a lot. I feel lucky to be surrounded by such good people who have supported me at every step,” he said.
