Ravichandran Ashwin returned to Chennai Super Kings for INR 9.75 crore in last year’s mega auction, but the seasoned spinner has found it difficult to justify the hefty price tag. In seven matches, Ashwin has taken five wickets at an economy rate of 9.29. His performance has been concerning for CSK, who were eliminated from the playoff race after their loss to Punjab Kings on Wednesday.

“Whether Chennai retain Ashwin or not is a major question, as he was bought for a hefty amount. If they want to free up funds, they might consider releasing him. So, among their big-ticket players, Ashwin and Pathirana are likely to go out,” Sanjay Bangar said.

Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh has criticised CSK for not using Ashwin this season and questioned the logic behind spending almost INR 10 crore on the legendary spinner.

CSK are at the bottom of the standings, having won just two of their 10 matches.

“Chennai didn’t select their team based on the conditions. Had Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja played together against Punjab Kings, Chennai could have won the contest. You paid INR 10 crore for Ashwin but he is not playing. I’m not sure why he’s not playing, but it seems like there may be some internal issue,” he said.

“He’s not the only one who hasn’t performed, yet others are still playing despite average performances, while Ashwin remains on the bench. He should have played against Punjab, given that the pitch was spinning.”