Chennai Super Kings (CSK) coach Stephen Fleming has been with the franchise since its inception in IPL 2008 and resumed duties when the franchise came back into the league in 2018 after a two-year suspension.
Fleming mentioned in a video shared on YouTube by the Chennai Super Kings, that the IPL 2022 mega auction went as planned for the yellow brigade as they spent Rs 45.05 crores at the two-day auction and acquired 21 players in addition to their four retentions.
CSK had retained MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Moeen Ali before the auction and got back the majority of their core players in the auction including the likes of Robin Uthappa, Deepak Chahar, Ambati Rayudu, and others.
Speaking in a video for CSK, Fleming admitted that the franchise was a bit sad about losing a couple of their main players at the auction but really happy with the talent they got.
Fleming said, "We are really happy it went according to plan. We lost a couple of players which we are a bit sad about but we have gained some real talent. We've got, this year, some good blend of experience and youth. So we're really excited about the way the auction went down.”
Fleming further singled out three players from New Zealand who he thinks the CSK franchise got for cheap in the IPL 2022. They are all-rounder Mitchell Santner, opener-keeper Devon Conway, and fast bowler Adam Milne.
CSK roped in Conway (Rs 1 crore), Santner (Rs 1.9 crore), and Milne (Rs 1.9 crore) for a total amount of Rs 4.8 crores.
WATCH - MS Dhoni warms up for IPL 2022 during CSK intra-squad match
“Well, they came cheap so it was good. They are all very skillful players. Devon Conway has had a great couple of years internationally. Mitch has been a stalwart for us. And in Adam Milne, we have got a bit of pace. So, all three of them have great credentials and a good skill set for us,” he said.
CSK will kick off their title defence against the last year's losing finalists Kolkata Knight Riders at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on March 26.
Here is the video:
