Sun Mar 30 17:00:00 UTC 2025: ## Chennai Super Kings Veteran Vijay Shankar Breaks Franchise Record with Return After 11 Years
**GUWAHATI, INDIA –** Vijay Shankar made a remarkable return to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday, breaking a franchise record for the longest gap between appearances. Eleven years after his IPL debut with the team, Shankar featured in CSK’s match against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. His previous appearance for CSK was in May 2014, also against Rajasthan.
The 3,974-day gap between appearances surpasses the previous CSK record held by R Ashwin, who returned to the team just a week prior after a near-decade absence. Shankar’s return is also the third longest gap between appearances across all IPL franchises.
Shankar and fellow newcomer Jamie Overton were brought into the CSK side for their match against Rajasthan, replacing Deepak Hooda and Sam Curran. Both players were acquired at the November auction, with Shankar purchased for INR 1.2 crore and Overton for INR 1.5 crore.
The match itself saw CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad win the toss for the third consecutive time and opt to field first. While the match result is not detailed in this report, Shankar’s return undoubtedly stole the headlines.
First Piper 