Bengaluru, Jan 30: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been the most popular teams in the 10-year long history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Despite suffering a two-year suspension, there is hardly any dip in the popularity of the franchise.

IPL Auction special site; Full list of sold players; Unsold players

The presence of one of the most popular cricketers in Indian history, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and a free-flowing brand of cricket made them popular transcending the regional barriers. CSK remained in the news as their loyal fans kept eagerly waiting for their return. Under Dhoni's leadership, the two-time champions are ready for more accolades.

Two IPL triumphs, two T20 Champions League trophies and a record of playing most IPL finals (six) in eight seasons are enough to explain how successful this franchise has been.

Not just Dhoni, even the likes of Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo and Faf du Plessis are returning for the CSK. Harbhajan Singh, another veteran India cricketer, is also included in the CSK squad for the upcoming season.

Captain: MS Dhoni

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Squad strength: 25

Overseas players: 8

Funds remaining: Rs 6.50 crore

Players retained

Indian: MS Dhoni (Rs 15 crore), Suresh Raina (Rs 11 crore) and Ravindra Jadeja (Rs 7 crore)

Overseas: 0

Bought at auction

Indian: Kedar Jadhav, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Murali Vijay, Deepak Chahar, Asif KM, Jagadeesan Narayan, Kanishk Seth, Dhruv Shorey, Kshitiz Sharma, Monu Singh, Chaitanya Bishnoi.

Overseas: Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Mark Wood, Sam Billings, Imran Tahir, Mitchell Santner, Lungisani Ngidi.

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Costliest Player/s for CSK:

MS Dhoni - Rs 15 crore (retained)

Kedar Jadhav - Rs 7.8 crore (at auction)