MI vs CSK IPL Comparison: Which team scouts best young talents in IPL?

Shaik-Rasheed-and-Tilak-Varma. (Photo source: X)

Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings are two of the most iconic franchises of the Indian Premier League. There are several reasons behind MI and CSK being the two most-successful sides the IPL has seen up until now. One of them has been their excellent vision when it comes to identifying youngsters from nowhere to make them future stars for their respective franchises.

There are several other reasons why MI and CSK are one of the most renowned franchises for any emerging talent to be acquired by. Apart from placing their trust on youngsters, a whole lot of experience in their camps help - be it when it comes to players or the coaching staff. The two sides are well-known for providing the best possible opportunities to players for becoming the best versions of themselves.

Coming to , they have carved out a name for themselves as being the trailblazer in terms of unearthing raw talents and transforming them into undisputed stars. Their entire scouting network appears to be vast and exceptionally sharp. A whole lot of players in their current squad like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, and Tilak Varma are standout illustrations of the same.

A prime example is that of Bumrah. The current fast-bowling spearhead for the franchise was almost a nobody back when the wiry pacer was picked up by the scouts during a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy game back in 2013. The pacer was just about on the brink of rising to prominence. He had not even made his debut for India till that point in time.

The more recent cases as far as MI are concerned are Vignesh Puthur and Ashwani Kumar. As of today, the two have been quite impressive in the limited games they have featured in. Puthur was snapped up by the franchise's scouts after witnessing his performances in the Kerala T20 League. He was sent to South Africa to be a net bowler for MI Cape Town. As for Ashwani, he shone in his debut IPL game by picking up a four-wicket haul. 

stand not too far behind when it comes to scouting for budding talents. Much like MI, they have a dedicated team of people who are always on the lookout for prospects. The off-season away from the IPL mainly goes in the unit attending various domestic tournaments. Players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matheesha Pathirana, and Tushar Deshpande stand out as a few examples.

Gaikwad's trajectory in the IPL might be a bit recent, but is quite similar to that of Bumrah. After a few promising seasons in the domestic circuit, he was picked up by CSK's scouts and later by the franchise for his base price of INR 20 lakh prior to IPL 2020. He was backed for the subsequent season despite having a mixed first season. Gaikwad ended up as the top-scorer of the league, with 635 runs in 2021. From that point onwards, he has been a regular in the CSK setup.

Shaik Rasheed and C Andre Siddarth are some of the recent picks by the Men in Yellow. Rasheed did not feature for the side in IPL 2023 after getting identified post a commendable U-19 World Cup in 2022. The youngster was retained in 2024. He impressed with some crisp strokeplay on his IPL debut recently. As for Siddarth, he was picked up at the mega auction ahead of IPL 2025 on the basis of his outings in the U-19 Asia Cup.

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To conclude, it could be said that MI and CSK both have their own unique processes. While MI are more open to take risks and test out their talents as has been seen in the past, CSK prefer to give them enough time while nurturing them to eventually test them on the grandest of stages. While both teams could be said to be recruiting some promising young guns, MI's risk-taking abilities take them a notch ahead.