Five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have announced their list of retained and released ahead of the IPL 2026 mega-auction. After a disastrous 2025 season that saw the yellow pile end bottom of the pile, bold decisions were made: big-name releases, legends traded away and a hint of fresh and exciting talent.
In this piece, we reveal the complete Updated squad of CSK, what are those they have retained whom they released also we will discuss all the traded players and finally look at their strategy going ahead.
Why This Reshuffle?
For CSK, campaign 2025 was our worst ever. Injuries, declining play and a lack of balance all were factors in the poor record.
Against that background, the franchise management decided to do a whole lot reshuffle ahead of IPL 2026: Cutting down on payroll, freeing up purse money and get rid of underperformers or expensive players in favor of young talent with potential.
And further — in a move that stunned many of its followers — CSK offloaded its long-time pillars of strength, which meant they were not going after the old war horses.
Summary: CSK’s Retained, Released, and Traded Players
Here is a consolidated view of the players CSK retained, released, and traded ahead of IPL 2026:
Retained Players (Core Squad for 2026)
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | Captain / Opening batter |
| Ayush Mhatre | Young batter – promising domestic talent |
| Dewald Brevis | Explosive batter / power-hitter |
| MS Dhoni | Wicket-keeper / veteran stalwart |
| Urvil Patel | Batter / squad depth |
| Shivam Dube | All-rounder / middle-order strength |
| Jamie Overton | Overseas all-rounder (batting + bowling depth) |
| Ramakrishna Ghosh | Domestic backup — batting/bowling depth |
| Noor Ahmad | Overseas / Spin bowler – spin department secured |
| Khaleel Ahmed | Indian pacer — pace-department retention |
| Anshul Kamboj | Pacer — providing pace-bowling depth |
| Gurjapneet Singh | Domestic talent — backup bowling option |
| Nathan Ellis | Overseas pacer — pace and death-overs option |
| Shreyas Gopal | Spinner / spin-bowling option |
| Mukesh Choudhary | Pacer / pace-bowling depth |
| Sanju Samson (traded in) | Wicket-keeper batter / experienced addition via trade |
Totals vary slightly across sources, but the consensus is that CSK retained 15–16 core players for 2026.
Released Players
CSK released / let go many players — including both domestic and overseas names. Here are the main ones:
- Vansh Bedi
- Rahul Tripathi
- Andre Siddarth (C. Andre Siddarth)
- Rachin Ravindra (overseas)
- Matheesha Pathirana (overseas pacer)
- Deepak Hooda
- Vijay Shankar
- Sam Curran (overseas) — traded out
- Shaik Rasheed
- Kamlesh Nagarkoti
- (A handful of other fringe or uncapped players)
Also, some big names got traded away:
Ravindra Jadeja – Rajasthan Royals (RR) Ravindra Jadeja, trading with Rajasthan While was an interesting one as he had played for Chennai last seasn but in the past, it was widely made that CSK would release the all-rounder rather than spend a premium on selecting him back.
The Big Trade: Jadeja & Curran Out, Sanju Samson In
Perhaps the biggest swap sees is blockbuster - Both Jadeja, Curran and Sanju Samson are part of a big trade. To let go of Jadeja – the long-serving all-rounder, a match-winner in days gone by and one of the iconic faces of what CSK is/supposed to be, besides Sam Curran to get Sanju Samson (from Rajasthan Royals). It is being billed as one of the biggest trade offs in IPL history.
In signing Samson, CSK have indicated that they felt it absolutely necessary to rebuild a fresh core: here is one of experience and talent subtly mixed with young energy. Samson will groom into one of the traditional middle-order or a finishers job and even earn rite to succeed senior leadership in due course.
What the Retained Players Bring to CSK (Strengths & Strategy)
I stand by every word I have said about the retention. But let’s break down what CSK get from retaining their core, and further more, why those players were most likely chosen for 2026.
Experience + Stability
- The kingpin is still MS Dhoni. Added to that, his captaincy, presence of mind under pressure and wicket-keeping experience is immense.
- As the captain has been retained for the season, and being among his opening pair of batters should give some stability at the top. His ability to stabilize the innings or get them off to a strong start is critical for CSK’s overall batting setup.
- As a middle-order bat with an IPL experience, Sanju Samson is the only one in this list with the potential to finish games and even lead in future..
Youth, Firepower & Potential
- Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Ramakrishna Ghosh and Gurjapneet Singh are some of the promising young Indian talent – adding depth for the future for CSK.”
- The explosive batter and power-hitter Dewald Brevis brings smoking hitting and aggression in spades – key character to the make-up of any T20 side.
- Overseas quicks Jamie Overton and Nathan Ellis bring pace, experience and all-round capabilities. Nice to have depth among the pace-bowling ranks abroad.
Bowling Balance: Pace + Spin + Variety
- Noor Ahmad: Overseas spinner He provides some depth to our spin department, especially with the types of wickets you get over there.
- Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary: Indian fast bowlers who add pace attack and depth for death overs — crucial in T20 planning.
- Shreyas Gopal: Spinner — provides some variation, and adds to the number of spin-bowling options.
On the whole, their mix of youth and experience, peppering from top to toe in terms of bowling and batting order that CSK would like to inject flexibility — adapting as per conditions, seizing the moment and may be pining for another shot at the trophy.
What They Lost (and the Risks)
Releasing and trading many players — including stars — comes with risk. Here are some of them, and some replayed risks and concerns, facing CSK for 2026.
- Loss of Experience & Match-Winners: The release of players such as Jadeja (all-rounder, match-winner)m Sam Curran overseas all-rounder and Matheesha Pathirana pacer with potential might dent the balance. They will be missed for their work in big moments.
- Inconsistency by young players – The youth movement is in full force, but often times the young guys don’t deliver when they are on the spot. It will take patience and support to count on them.
- Pressure on Overseas Spots in Franchise: The two-time winners only have a handful of spots for overseas players, so they will have to chose their foreign stars wisely. Quality foreign players don’t come easy; if they fail to get it right, their overseas balance could suffer.
- Dependence on New Boys: Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis and others will be expected to deliver. And if they collapse, it will certainly mean a disappointing season for CSK.
What This Means for the IPL 2026 Auction — CSK’s Strategy Ahead
With this reshuffle, CSK come into the 2026 mini-auction with a decent purse lying around – enough for them to chase big names or fill the holes wisely.
What CSK likely targets in auction:
- A good death over specialist pacer — to link up with pace attack.
- A big-hitting finisher or, perhaps, a middle-order batsman — so that there is some cover to Sanju Samson.
- Additional overseas all-rounder or spinner — to make up for overseas slots and adjust according to Chepauk / Indian conditions.
- A reserve wicket-keeper or a young Indian batter - for depth in the squad, and some injury/rotation cover.
In short, even though the team may be looking towards striking a balance and being more flexible in terms of such qualities as youth, experience, batting depth, bowling variation and new energy.
Looking Ahead: What Fans Should Watch in 2026
- Can the new core gel well? That could be a lot, given all the new players — and the mix of young talent and established veterans. They have the potential to surprise if they jell well.
- Performance under pressure: Expectations are high, given the poor record of 2025. “There will definitely be pressure on players and they need to handle it, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis and all the domestic youngsters need to step up.
- Spending the auction purse wisely: The mini-auction will also determine the course of CSK’s season. Smart buys (death bowlers, finishers, backups) are expected to be key for them.
- Role of veterans like Dhoni, Gaikwad: Their leadership and experience will be important — on the field and off it. How much they play, and at what position, will impact team chemistry and for that matter the results.
- Spin & pace balance: Depending on the nature of surface, CSK will have to carefully juggle between their spin pacer ratio. Spin-friendly Indian pitches will be convenient to bowlers such as Noor Ahmad and Shreyas Gopal, although pace options are necessary too.
Conclusion
The “CSK Retained & Released Players List for IPL 2026” indicates Chennai Super Kings have announced a brave strategic change. After a forgettable 2025 year, CSK have thrown caution to the wind — and stuck by with bits of experience in a sea of fresh faces, they have trimmed their budget down, and left some purse empty for the mega auction. The retention of players like MS Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad and bringing in youth talents like Sanju Samson or Dewald Brevis shows that CSK are working on long-term project as well as a dynamic future.
It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy. And if the fresh core gels, is tested under pressure and the auction purchases are smart, CSK can come back in contention again in IPL 2026. For fans, in the coming season there is going to be excitement and news stories and hope — the yellow army may well roar back.
