The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the joint-best franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in terms of winning trophies. They, along with the Mumbai Indians (MI) have 5 titles to their name so far.
However, the 2025 edition of the popular Indian T20 league was one to forget for CSK. They finished right at the bottom of the table, at the 10th position, well below the expectations and usual standards.
Naturally, an overhaul is expected in the next player auctions, leading up to IPPL 2026. While nothing has been revealed officially just yet, let’s look at the top 3 players who could be released by CSK.
IPL 2026 auctions: Who all could CSK release?
1) Rahul Tripathi
Rahul Tripathi had his worst year in the IPL, by far in 2025, scoring just 55 runs in 5 matches.
The top/middle order batsman was unable to deliver for the Chennai-based team in times of need, which was on most occassions in the last edition. So, it wouldn’t be surprising if he is axed from the squad ahead of the 2026 auctions.
2) Sam Curran
Sam Curran has made a name for himself as a dependable all-rounder in cricket, but was far from his best while representing CSK last year.
He played 5 matches, scoring 114 runs and taking 1 wicket. The 5-time IPL winners might, hence, look to replace him with another handy overseas player next year.
3) Rachin Ravindra
Speaking of overseas players, New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra, too, had a rather disappointing run in IPL 2025 for the Chennai Super Kings, managing to score only 191 runs in 8 matches.
He also isn’t having a great time in England’s The Hundred cricket league, having faced 45 balls so far across 4 matches, and scoring just 91 runs so far. If there are no signs of improvement, CSK might let him go ahead of the IPL 2026 auctions.
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