Did R Ashwin 'Leak' CSK's IPL Auction Picks? India Legend Says 'How Are You Guys...'

India legend Ravichandran Ashwin made some accurate predictions during the recent IPL mini-auction, including Chennai Super Kings signing two uncapped players, Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma. Minutes

before the two landed record deals with the five-time champions, Ashwin had already posted on X that the duo would don the yellow of CSK next IPL season.

As it turned out, both Veer and Sharma became part of IPL history after each was signed by CSK for Rs 14.2 crore, which is the highest amount any franchise has paid for an uncapped player in the auction’s history.

Given his vast experience, Ashwin may have the nous to make such accurate calls, but a few users began claiming that the former CSK cricketer had the inside knowledge, and him leaking the team’s auction picks gave other franchises a chance to inflate the pair’s bidding price.

“How are you guys able to believe these lies?” Ashwin quoted a post quizzing him about the alleged ‘leak’.

How are you guys able to believe these lies?🤣🤣 https://t.co/5yzWUZjuta

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) December 17, 2025

In another post, Ashwin mocked a user’s claim that the former India cricketer is responsible for CSK not being able to sign Jason Holder or Mustafizur Rahman, as they ended up splurging a majority of their budget on two players.

“The Orange Army had Muralitharan, Vettori, analysts and scouts sitting at the table and yet showed faith in my tweets,” Ashwin quoted a post on X.

The Orange Army had Muralitharan, Vettori, Analysts and scouts sitting at the table and yet showed faith in my tweets.🤓🤓 https://t.co/Q5r9W07VCW

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) December 17, 2025

How CSK Spent Their Budget At IPL 2026 Auction?

CSK had the second biggest purse among the 10 teams with Rs 43.4 crores for 9 vacant slots. West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein was their first signing of the mini-auction as they secured him at his base price of Rs 2 crore.

CSK signed one specialist batter in Sarfaraz Khan (Rs 75 lakh), four all-rounders in Prashant Veer (Rs 14.2 crore), Matthew Short (Rs 1.5 crore), Zakary Foulks (Rs 75 lakh) and Aman Khan (Rs 40 lakh), three specialist bowlers in Rahul Chahar (Rs 5.2 crore), Hosein (Rs 2 crore) and Matt Henry (Rs 2 crore) and a wicketkeeper-batter in Kartik Sharma (Rs 14.2 crore).