One of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) most successful franchises yet, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has announced its list of retained and released players for the upcoming 2026 edition. Following an underwhelming season in 2025, where CSK struggled and eventually finished at the bottom of the table, it is obvious that CSK’s management has chosen to hit refresh with a massive overhaul.
Here’s the full list of who stays, who leaves, how much remaining purse and what CSK’s consign to 2026 mini-auction means.
Why Did CSK Reshuffle Ahead of 2026?
Their 2025 season was not one of the best for CSK. A combination of injuries and inconsistent play, with a lack of balance between batting and bowling, resulted in poor results.
With that, the management went with a new core having some young and emerging names, and some known faces to revamp stability in the team while it keeps them open for new additions in the next auction.
CSK 2026: Retained Players (Core Squad)
Here is the complete list of players retained by CSK for IPL 2026 — the foundation on which the franchise will build its next season.
| No. | Player Name | Notes / Role / Retained Price* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Captain / Opening batter |
| 2 | Ayush Mhatre | Young batter, promising talent |
| 3 | Dewald Brevis | Explosive batter, power-hitter |
| 4 | MS Dhoni | Wicket-keeper / Veteran stalwart |
| 5 | Urvil Patel | Batter / squad depth |
| 6 | Shivam Dube | All-rounder / Middle-order strength |
| 7 | Jamie Overton | Overseas all-rounder / bowling-batting option |
| 8 | Ramakrishna Ghosh | Squad player — batting/bowling depth |
| 9 | Noor Ahmad | Spin bowling weapon — spin department secured |
| 10 | Khaleel Ahmed | Indian pacer — pace department retention |
| 11 | Anshul Kamboj | Pacer — pace-bowling depth |
| 12 | Gurjapneet Singh | Domestic talent, possible backup option |
| 13 | Nathan Ellis | Overseas pacer — death / pace overs option |
| 14 | Shreyas Gopal | Spinner / all-round bowling support |
| 15 | Mukesh Choudhary | Pacer / pace-bowling depth |
| 16 | Sanju Samson (traded in) | Wicket-keeper batter / new addition via trade |
*Retained price as per official release list for 2026.
With this core, CSK still has a mix of youth (like Ayush Mhatre), raw talent (Brisbane-bound Dewald Brevis), domestic depth (Urvil Patel and Gurjapneet Singh and AnshulT C), experience [Dhoni himself would play in some matches, as will Ruturaj] and some options of pace and spin bowling.
CSK 2026: Released / Traded Out Players
CSK has released a few names – some big, some experimental – to open room for a fresh strategy and flexibility at the auction.
Following is the list of players released or traded before IPL 2026:
| Player Name | Status / Note |
|---|---|
| Ravindra Jadeja | Traded out to another franchise |
| Matheesha Pathirana | Released / not retained |
| Devon Conway | Released |
| Rachin Ravindra | Released |
| Sam Curran | Traded away / moved to another franchise The Times of India+1 |
| Rahul Tripathi | Released |
| Vansh Bedi | Released |
| Andre Siddarth | Released |
| Deepak Hooda | Released |
| Vijay Shankar | Released |
| Shaikh Rasheed | Released |
| Kamlesh Nagarkoti | Released |
The likes of Ravindra Jadeja moving out are notable in that players had built a long association with the team and it has finally come to an end. It was not just one of India’s principal all-rounders but also a senior statesman and a match-winner on his day. The Economic Times+1
The release of overseas players such as Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra along with trade-outs indicates that CSK are looking to reset their overseas make-up a bit, while bringing in different sorts of overseas skills through auction.
Purse Remaining & Auction Strategy
After these retentions and releases, CSK have a balance of ₹43.40 crore to spend at the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
That doesn’t give them short shrift in terms of firepower to zero in on such big fishes as a gloveman-batter (perhaps to eventually succeed Dhoni), a marauding finisher about town and a top pace/all-rounder – all departments CSK may well want to add more muscle too.
Introduction of a wicket-keeper batter (as a trade: Sanju Samson) clearly speaks of what CSK are trying to achieve in terms of squad mix – striking the right balance between experience and adaptability.
What The Changes Mean: Analysis of CSK 2026 Approach
- Youth + Potential > Big Names: By keeping youngsters and leaving out relatively underperformers or ones who are expensive overseas players, it looks like CSK intend to go with young guns and cost-effective rather big-name retention.
- Well-rounded Squad: CSK boast of a team comprising of pace and spin bowlers, all-rounders and strong batting line-up resulting in an even squad. This might help them adjust to new pitches and battle better line-ups.
- Flexibility for the Auction Phase: With a remaining purse of ₹43.4 crore, they have the flexibility -they are under no compulsion to chase big-ticket stars right away and choose players that fit both their system and finances.
- New Leadership & Fresh Energy: With a spine revolving around the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad (as captain) and budding talents, CSK appear be setting themselves up for a transition phase concentrating on form, fitness, team unity.
What Fans Should Watch Out For
- Overseas Player Impact: Will overseas stars in Jamie Overton, Nathan Ellis and Dewald Brevis be the key with their performances? Their show will be an indicator of how well-balanced or unbalanced CSK’s overseas quota is.
- Wicket-keeping & Batting Depth: With Dhoni being there and Sanju Samson introduced, fans will expect good batting performance with depth in the middle overs.
- Bowling under pressure: Bowlers – especially death bowling and spin, the traditional strength of CSK — will be key. Fringe players such as Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj and Mukesh Choudhary will be in the spotlight.
- Fresh Faces Through Auction: The names CSK buys in the 2026 mini-auction could well fill those blanks — a finisher, lieutenants to the pace-spin bowlers or an all-rounder who can provide x-factor.
Retained & Released Players — At a Glance
Retained (16 players)
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis Quality articles or reviews is the main to interest the people to visit the web page, that’s what this website is providing. MS Dhoni, Urvil Patel Shivam Dube – Jaivir Kathuria Jamie Overton – DC: Vitality there were 4-5 studies linked to what we’d do in making chinese puzzle potentially barrier; Noor Ahmad – 13-Oct Khaleel Ahmed Anshul Kamboj Gurjapneet Singh Nate Ellis Shreyas Gopal Mukesh Choudhary Sanju Samson (trade-in)
Released or Traded Out (12 players)
Ravindra Jadeja (KXIP ←), Matheesha Pathirana, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Sam Curran (KXIP ←), Rahul Tripathi, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Shaikh Rasheed and Kamlesh Nagarkoti
Conclusion
The 2026 retention and release list marks a big shift in CSK’s approach. Thro their judicious mix of youth and experience, inclination to look towards cost effective talents and maintaining a high level sack have, CSK seem to be gearing up for a tactical reconstruction rather being tempted by marquee names.
For the fans, this might be the beginning of a new era — one where team balance, local talent and crafty auction buys constitute success. With a fresh core and plenty more slots to be filled, all eyes will now be on the auction and CSK with their players who have been with them since 2008 come back under pressure.
If CSK manage the auction properly then they could make a strong comeback in 2026, having plugged gaps in both their batting and bowling.
FAQs About CSK Retained & Released Players List for IPL 2026
Q1. How many players have CSK retained in IPL 2026?
CSK has retained 16 players (and traded in one).
Q2. Which are the marquee players released or traded by CSK for 2026?
Prominent among the players released/traded are R. Jadeja (traded), Matheesha Pathirana, Devon Conway and S. Curran (traded).
Q3. How much is CSK’s remaining purse for the 2026 auction?
CSK’s remaining purse for the 2026 mini-auction is ₹43.40 crore.
Q4. Was there any trade made by CSK?
Yes Sanju Samson comes in and stays.
Q5. So what does this whole revamp mean for the future strategy of CSK?
It is a statement of the rebuilding process: placing emphasis on youth and experience, budget fraternity and squad agility — trying to achieve balance, depth rather than expensive luminaries.
