The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have officially responded to reports suggesting they were planning to release key players, including Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, Sam Curran, and Devon Conway, ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction.
CSK shuts down reports of big-name exits before IPL 2026 auction
The five-time champions took to their official X (formerly Twitter) handle to address the rumors after a player release list for the franchise began circulating widely on social media on Friday, October 10.
The controversy comes after a disappointing run for CSK, who finished their IPL 2025 campaign in tenth position on the points table. The team managed to win only four matches while suffering ten losses, ending the season with a Net Run Rate of −0.647. This result marked the first time in history that CSK finished at the bottom of the points table, and it was also the first instance of the franchise missing out on the playoffs for two consecutive seasons.
The disastrous season saw CSK concede several historical records. For the first time in 17 years, they lost against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at their home ground, and they suffered a loss to the Delhi Capitals at home after 15 years. Furthermore, the Sunrisers Hyderabad secured their first-ever victory against the Chennai Super Kings in their own backyard.
Adding to the complexity, these struggles unfolded under the watchful eyes of legendary player MS Dhoni. Original skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad was only able to participate in five matches, scoring 122 runs at an average of 24.40 and a strike rate of 150.61, before being ruled out of the competition. Dhoni took over the leadership midway through the season but was unable to inspire a turnaround in the team's fortunes.
These performance issues led to speculation regarding the team's strategy for the upcoming IPL 2026 auction, scheduled for December. Cricbuzz recently released a report mentioning that the five-time champions were looking to release some big names from the squad. The goal was to free up their purse and enter the auction with a substantial amount of money. The players rumored to be released included Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, Sam Curran, and Devon Conway. Additionally, the retirement of Ravichandran Ashwin added an immediate INR 9.75 crore to their available funds.
'Nothing's official till you see it here'
Following the widespread circulation of the release report, CSK quickly took to their official X account to shut down the growing social media chatter. They posted a message that read, "Don't worry, we've updated the bio." Their newly updated bio now serves as a clear disclaimer for fans and media, stating: "Nothing's official till you see it here."
Notably, the highly anticipated IPL 2026 auction is reportedly scheduled to take place within the December 13-15 window. There is a high chance that the event will be hosted in India this time around, breaking from recent tradition.