"He’s gone for a price more than Ashwin" - Former CSK batter expresses concern over side's 10 crore buy ahead of IPL 2025

Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Subramaniam Badrinath expressed concerns over Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad delivering the goods for the side in the upcoming 2025 IPL season. CSK acquired the 20-year-old for a whopping price of ₹10 crores in the IPL 2025 mega auction last year.

Noor boasts outstanding T20 numbers with 150 wickets at an average of 22.60 and an economy of 7.14 in 132 outings. However, he is coming off a poor 2025 Champions Trophy campaign, picking up only the lone wicket in three matches.

Talking about Noor's acquisition and place in the CSK side on his YouTube channel, Badrinath said (quoted by Cricket.com):

"Noor Ahmad he’s definitely an overseas player to watch out for. But, I have my worry, yes, he’s a wrist spinner; yes, he’s an X-factor player, but can he justify his INR 10 crore price tag? I have my worries over that. Will he play all the matches? Will it be as consistent for CSK? Only time will answer that. He’s gone for a price more than Ashwin."

He added:

"CSK have a three-man spin attack, and if you remember, a four-man spin attack only worked for India in Champions Trophy 2025. CSK will also go spin-oriented, but my question remains: will he give dividends for the price."

The Super Kings also brought back legendary off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in a bid to form a three-man spin-bowling attack with himself, Noor, and Ravindra Jadeja, especially on turning wickets at home. Meanwhile, Noor Ahmad played for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2023 and 2024, picking up a combined 24 wickets in 23 matches.

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"He’s very one-dimensional" - Subramaniam Badrinath on Noor Ahmad

Noor Ahmad played a major role in GT's runners-up finish in IPL 2023 [Credit: Getty]

Subramaniam Badrinath further raised concerns about Noor Ahmad's lack of ability to contribute with the bat or on the field, terming him a one-dimensional cricketer. CSK have historically built their lineup by prioritizing batting depth - a big factor behind their unparalled success of winning five IPL titles.

"I still have reservation over his place in the side. He doesn’t have a whole lot of batting or fielding, so he’s very one-dimensional in that aspect. Maybe, they could use him as an impact player, who knows?" Badrinath said in the aforementioned video.

Chennai are coming off a rare down season in 2024, missing the playoffs for only the third time in their 15-year history. The upcoming 2025 season will be Ruturaj Gaikwad's second as CSK captain, having led the side for the first time last year.