Five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have announced the list of players that they have retained and released ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. As expected, the likes of MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ayush Mhatre are among the players to be retained by the franchise.
Meanwhile, CSK have executed one of the most significant trade deals in league history, securing the signing of star player Sanju Samson. This stunning transfer involved a major exchange, with both Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran moving in the opposite direction to join Rajasthan Royals (RR).The trade also involved notable salary adjustments, particularly for Ravindra Jadeja. After a successful 12-year stint with CSK, Jadeja is making a return to his former franchise, RR, but has agreed to a substantial pay cut. While his last drawn salary at CSK was Rs18 crore, he will join RR for Rs 14 crore. Conversely, Sanju Samson will retain his previous compensation, maintaining his salary of Rs 18 crore at CSK, which was his price as the RR captain last year.
CSK's retained players
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- MS Dhoni
- Dewald Brevis
- Ayush Mhatre
- Urvil Patel
- Devon Conway
- Shivam Dube
- Jamie Overton
- Ramkrishna Ghosh
- Noor Ahmad
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Anshul Kamboj
- Gurjapneet Singh
- Nathan Ellis
- Shreyas Gopal
- Mukesh Choudhary
CSK's released players
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Matheesha Pathirana
- Devon Conway
- Rachin Ravindra
- Sam Curran
Trade-In players
Sanju Samson
Trade-Out Players
Ravindra Jadeja
How did CSK fare last year?
CSK had a forgetful IPL 2025 season and finished on the bottom of the standings for the first time in their history. They could only secure a total of eight points from 14 games in the league stage and their performance remained poor throughout the campaign. The franchise's season went on a downward spiral after skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad got ruled out mid-way through the season due to an elbow fracture. MS Dhoni was then handed the leadership duties, but the side failed to delivber under his captaincy as well.