IPL 2026: 4 Players Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Could Release Ahead of Mega Auction

The IPL (Indian Premier League) will be held in 2026, and along with that, the player auction is set for mid-December, probably in the UAE. All franchises have a deadline of November 15 to hand in their final list of players that they will retain and those they will release.

The team management of Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who have won the title five times, may want to refresh their team by sending some players who could not meet the management's expectations in 2025. Now let us discuss the four players who may be let go by CSK before the IPL 2026 auction.

1. Deepak Hooda

The all-rounder Deepak Hooda, who was bought by CSK for ₹1.7 crore, had a very dull 2025 season. His tally for 7 matches was 31 runs over 5 innings at 6.20. Even though Hooda has 125 IPL games under his belt with 1,496 runs and 8 fifties, he could not provide the explosive finishing that CSK was looking for. The team management may release him so that they can look for a middle-order batsman who is more consistent in terms of scoring runs.

2. Rahul Tripathi

Rahul Tripathi was purchased for ₹3.40 crore and was shuffled around the batting order several times but failed to get going by scoring a mere 55 runs in five innings at an average of 11.00. Since 2017, Tripathi has played for five different teams and he has scored 2,291 runs in 100 IPL games. CSK might release him because of his poor form and this would also help them to free up some money for a new, young and in-form top-order batter.

3. Devon Conway

The New Zealand batsman Devon Conway, who was signed for ₹6.25 crore, was not able to perform as well as he did in his last season with CSK. Even though he came into the fold after Rachin Ravindra's struggles, he still could manage to score only 156 runs at an average of 26.00 with two half-centuries in six innings. CSK may part ways with him in order to amass more funds for the auction as the team is looking for a new combination at the top.

4. Vijay Shankar

Vijay Shankar, acquired for 1.2 crore, limited his performance in IPL 2025 to a decent but small sum of runs of 118 in five innings at a healthy average of 39.33. The main area of his lacking was his bowling where he did not help the team which in turn diminished his overall value in the side. Shankar has 1,233 runs and 9 wickets over 78 IPL appearances, however, CSK may prefer to go for a more well-rounded player than him.

🔍 Outlook for IPL 2026

The auction is likely to be held overseas, and CSK is going through a transition phase now that M. S. Dhoni is no longer with them. Therefore, the decisions made by the franchise this year could determine its future for a long time. It is likely that CSK will continue to rely on the new Indian players and decisive foreign performers in order to keep their competitive edge.

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