His whirlwind innings helped Rajasthan to claim a comfortable victory over Tamil Nadu.
Following a disastrous campaign in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have opted for a major overhaul before entering the upcoming season. They have named almost half of their previous edition’s squad in the CSK released players 2026 list, including Deepak Hooda.
But the Rajasthan all-rounder has put up a blistering show in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2025 opener, raising his stock ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
The 30-year-old had endured a similar fate as his franchise in the IPL 2025. He had finished the edition with just 31 runs in seven matches and registered the lowest average of 6.20 in his decade-long IPL career.
But his recent outings indicate a potential comeback to form, as Hooda has been inconsistent but also notched up a few noteworthy knocks in the domestic circuit. He had kicked off the Ranji Trophy 2025 with a sublime 130-run knock against Chhattisgarh, before slamming a magnificent 248 facing Mumbai.
Similarly, Hooda has also been off to a great start in the SMAT 2025. While chasing 170 runs against Tamil Nadu, he played a brisk, unbeaten innings of 76 runs in just 36 balls. Hooda’s knock was laced with six fours and as many over-boundaries, at a pulsating strike rate of 211.11.
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Multiple teams will be searching for a domestic finisher option in the upcoming IPL 2026 auction. If Hooda could carry on the fierce show in the remaining matches of the SMAT 2025, his previous franchises, including the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), might give it a thought to acquire him in their IPL 2026 squad.
Previously, the all-rounder had represented them for four and three years, respectively. After including Abdul Samad in the LSG released players 2026 list, the Super Giants might look to rope him in for the forthcoming edition of the cash-rich league. The Orange Army could also want to include him in the SRH IPL 2026 squad, in place of the Karnataka player, Abhinav Manohar.
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