It’s been a long wait for Indian batter Sarfaraz Khan, who couldn’t hide his emotion after Chennai Super Kings threw him a lifeline at the IPL 2026 mini-auction on Tuesday.
The five-time champions snapped Sarfaraz up at his base price of ₹75 lakh, rewarding his scorching domestic form just hours after he smashed a 22-ball 73 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
After going unsold in the early rounds, the 27-year-old finally saw his name light up again — CSK stepping in as his saviour with their sixth pick of the auction.
Soon after, Sarfaraz took to Instagram to thank the franchise for reviving his IPL journey.
An emotional note from Sarfaraz Khan 🥹💛 #WhistlePodu #CSK pic.twitter.com/d58EThgAX4
— WhistlePodu Army ® – CSK Fan Club (@CSKFansOfficial)
December 17, 2025
“Thank you so much, CSK, for giving me new life,” he wrote.
Sarfaraz Khan’s emotional Instagram story after being sold for ₹75 lakh to Chennai Super Kings in the auction for IPL 2026.🥹❤️
This shows that if you work hard, you will definitely get the reward for it. God never disappoints those who work hard. pic.twitter.com/X3Z81AmB0g
— Mention Cricket (@MentionCricket) December 16, 2025
Sarfaraz last featured in the IPL in 2023 with Delhi Capitals, and his recent numbers explain why CSK took the punt.
In this year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he has piled up 256 runs from six innings at a stunning average of 64.00 and a strike rate of 182.85.
CSK’s auction night, however, wasn’t just about Sarfaraz. The franchise made history by splurging ₹14.20 crore each on uncapped sensations Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer, rewriting the record books. They also strengthened further by adding Matt Henry and Rahul Chahar.
Earlier, Chennai pulled off the biggest headline move of the window, trading in Sanju Samson for ₹18 crore, while parting ways with franchise icons Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, both of whom headed to Rajasthan Royals. CSK also released Matheesha Pathirana, freeing up ₹13 crore ahead of the auction.
