CSK may cut a Rs 14.2 crore buy

Today's news

CSK may release its Rs 14.2 crore uncapped buy (Franchise)

What happened: Cricbuzz reports that Chennai Super Kings may release Prashant Veer, the 20-year-old all-rounder they bought for Rs 14.2 crore at the last auction, after a season of 90 runs in six matches and no wickets. CSK have Rs 2.4 crore left, rising to Rs 7.4 crore with the Rs 5 crore cap increase, and an official said no retention calls have been made yet.

For sponsors: Last week's question was whether to buy CSK's rebuild; this is the first named player in that clear-out, and it shows the team is chasing purse room for Goa, not loyalty to last year's headline buys. A brand planning CSK content should build it around the team and its settled names until the 15 November list is out. Cricbuzz

PBKS say Marco Jansen is not for trade (Franchise)

What happened: Punjab Kings sources have dismissed talk of trading Marco Jansen, who was Player of the Series in South Africa's recent three-Test series against Australia. His 2026 IPL was quiet, with nine wickets in 12 matches at an economy above 10, but he now tops the ICC Test charts for both bowlers and all-rounders.

For sponsors: PBKS are holding on to a player whose stock has risen away from the IPL, which gives the team an overseas face with fresh momentum going into 2027. Brands on the PBKS roster can ask for Jansen in early-season content while his international form is still news. Cricbuzz

The question

Should a sponsor buy into an auction headline?

Every December, a few big prices make the news. Prashant Veer was one of them: Rs 14.2 crore, joint-most expensive uncapped player at the last auction, bought "amid considerable anticipation", as Cricbuzz puts it. Eleven months later his team may let him go to raise funds.

For a brand, the lesson is not about one young player. It is about what an auction price actually tells you. It tells you what a franchise was willing to pay on one evening, with a purse to spend and rivals bidding. It does not tell you how much he will play, how often he will be on screen, or whether he will be in the same shirt a year later. Veer batted five times in 2026. A face that appears five times is a thin base for a campaign.

The contrast with Kartik Sharma, bought at the same price, is useful. He played 11 matches and scored 295 runs, and CSK may keep him. Same price, very different season, and no way to tell the two apart on auction night.

So when the 16 December auction produces its headline buys, sponsors should not rush to sign them. There is a cheaper and safer order of moves. Fix the team asset and the category first. Write player content as "two named players from the final squad", chosen after the first few weeks of the season. Pay any player-linked fee in stages, tied to matches played rather than to the price tag.

Jansen shows the other side. A player's value to a brand can rise outside the IPL entirely. Teams that keep such players give sponsors a face that is already in the news. Wait for the retention list, then buy the people who are actually staying.