The franchise endured one of their worst seasons in 2025.
Out of the 10 teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), just two are currently making the headlines. And why shouldn’t they? Star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran have been traded to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in exchange of skipper Sanju Samson, in one of the biggest trades to take place in PL history. That being said, the Men in Yellow will have to re-think the CSK 2026 auction strategy ahead of the next season.
Ravindra Jadeja to RR seems like a good option for the inaugural IPL champions, considering their squad over the last few years. Jadeja’s bowling prowess in the last couple of years has only gone up, which would enhance the quality of the side. The Ravindra Jadeja trade will also give RR the chance to think about making him the skipper, which would be a debatable call.
However great things become for the Rajasthan Royals, there would be a lot more thinking to be done for the Chennai Super Kings in order to determine the CSK 2026 auction strategy. The team failed miserably in the previous edition of the IPL, and they would be itching to make things right. A few days ago, the team confirmed that MS Dhoni would be playing in the IPL 2026 season.
The Ravindra Jadeja to RR trade looks massive from the outset, but it needs to be thought a lot, especially before entering an all-important IPL auction. The spin department for the Chennai Super Kings will take a considerable hit with this move. Simultaneously, Sam Curran going to RR benefits the 2008 IPL champions as they would love to utilise him in the middle-order.
The CSK spin-bowling unit, which once comprised of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja now has neither of them in the ranks. Suddenly, Noor Ahmad becomes the franchise’s lead spinner, which will be a cause of concern in the short-term. However, this isn’t about the quality of Noor as a spinner, but about how CSK need to be wise at the auction table in order to cover the loopholes.
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The CSK 2026 auction strategy would revolve a bit less around the search for a captain and wicketkeeper to replace the MS Dhoni after the appointment of Sanju Samson. Though the call on whether Samson would be made the skipper ahead of Ruturaj Gaikwad is yet to be determined, the wicketkeeper-batter from Kerala is certainly one of the potential skippers going ahead.
But CSK need to be extremely aware about the void being formed in their spin-bowling department. One of the most important targets for the franchise would be to acquire the services of a good spinner to join forces with Noor Ahmad for the season. To add to that, CSK would have to deal with plugging their loopholes with regards to their fast bowling options.
Overall, the trade has been a good one for both franchises from the outset, but CSK have got a lot of thinking to do, as compared to RR. The CSK 2026 auction strategy is what the fans will be extremely eager to see on the day of the auction. And last but not the least, due to the Ravindra Jadeja RR trade, the five-time champions will have to be careful about the CSK squad 2026 at the time of naming their releases and retentions on November 15.
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