Chennai Super Kings who struggled a lot in IPL 2025 and could not make it to the playoffs have done some remarkable trades in the off season which has covered a few areas for them. They have the second highest purse going into the mini auction on December 16 and there are a few players whom they will target ahead of IPL 2026. Their top five batters looks sorted with Ayush Mhatre and Ruturaj Gaikwad opening the batting. Sanju Samson who was one of the biggest trade from RR will bat at No 3 and he will be followed by Shivam Dube and Dewald Brevis. So this is as solid a batting order one can get. A few backup batters at the top might be an area they will look at. At the same time, they pulled off one of the biggest trades of the retention window by bringing in Sanju Samson for ₹18 crore.
CSK will now enter the IPL 2026 mini-auction with a strong purse of ₹43.40 crore. They also released Pathirana which has freed up their purse. Pathirana picked up 13 wickets in the previous season, though his economy rate of 10.14 hurt both his impact and CSK’s campaign. Still, his sling-arm action, reminiscent of Lasith Malinga, makes him a rare and valuable asset in this league. In total, he has claimed 47 IPL wickets and has shown that he thrives in pressure, especially in death overs. Given CSK’s large budget, they may go all-in to regain him if a bidding war begins, particularly because he already understands the franchise environment and has previously performed well for them.
Watch how Chennai Super Kings team fare ahead if IPL 2026
Chennai Super Kings have released Matheesha Pathirana and while some sources suggest they are keen to buy him back it remains to be seen with Nathan Ellis already in the squad. Noor Ahmed is another key player who will be a Trump card for this season. As they have traded Jadeja they will need a finisher who can bowl a bit. Liam Livingstone and Cameron Green are a few options who can really fetch big money in the auction. Chennai Super kings also have a big purse going into the auction with only Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of them. So it will be very interesting to see how the Chennai Super kings think tank look to fill the gaps. Among these high-value names, there are several options who can fill the gaps in CSK’s current squad. Considering their needs, there are four players in the ₹2 crore bracket who stand out as strong potential targets for CSK
