Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) newest recruit Prashant Veer spoke about his first interaction with CSK legend MS Dhoni and revealed that the experienced campaigner has asked him not to spend his big IPL 2026 paycheck on unnecessary things and save it.

Veer, who made a name for himself in the UP T20 league, was recruited by CSK in the IPL 2026 auction for a record INR 14.20 crores.

“Right now, we haven’t spoken much about cricket. He told me to save my money and not spend it unnecessarily," Veer told Sportstar.

Prashant, a middle-order power hitter, has only played nine acknowledged T20s, scoring 112 runs at a strike rate of 167.16. He also bowls left-arm spin and has taken 12 wickets.

His recruitment, along with that of wicketkeeper Kartik Sharma for the same fee, appeared to be CSK's attempt to future-proof the squad, with Ravindra Jadeja having already been moved to the Rajasthan Royals and Dhoni likely playing his final season.

“First of all, I have to do what I know, what I have practised and what brought me here. If I think I have to take his place, there will be a lot of pressure because what he has done for the franchise or the Indian team is not easy to do. Right now, I’m just focusing on my game," Veer said.

He needed some time to get used to CSK’s practice intensity, too.

“It’s my first IPL, so I have never had practice sessions like this before. The environment and the intensity here are different, so it takes a little time to get used to it," Veer said.

CSK will open their IPL 2026 against the Rajasthan Royals on March 30.