On Saturday, November 16, five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) confirmed their list of retained and released players ahead of IPL 2026 auction. However, the franchise finally broke silence on the biggest
trade deal which had been brewing for over last one week as they confirmed the signing of Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals (RR) in a swap deal involving veteran Indian all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran.
Moreover, the franchise also let go off Sri Lankan star player Matheesha Pathirana, who has been on and off the field with injuries. In all, the Yellow Army retained 16 players, including four overseas and now have a remaining purse of INR 43.40 Crore, second largest after Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of IPL 2026 auction. Soon after the announcement of retained players, CSK also made a big announcement.
Ruturaj Gaikwad to continue as CSK captain in IPL 2026
After Sanju Samson’s trade to CSK, several reports claimed that the wicketkeeper-batter is in line to take the helm, but the franchise soon cleared the air around it and confirmed Ruturaj Gaikwad as they skipper. The Maharashtra batter, who took over the helm from MS Dhoni in IPL 2024, saw him continue to lead in IPL 2025. But a sudden elbow injury saw MS Dhoni return as the skipper. On Saturday, taking to X, the franchise captioned a post, “LEAD THE WAY, CAPTAIN RUTURAJ GAIKWAD!”
List of retained and released players for Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2026 auction
Released Players: Rahul Tripathi, Vansh Bedi, C. Andre Siddarth, Ravindra Jadeja (Trade Out), Rachin Ravindra, Sam Curran (Trade out), Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Shaik Rasheed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Matheesha Pathirana.
Chennai Super Kings squad ahead of IPL 2026 auction:
Batters: Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis
Wicket-keepers: MS Dhoni, Urvil Patel, Sanju Samson (Trade in)
All-Rounders: Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh
Bowlers: Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary.
