IPL 2026 Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Best Released Players List

Explore the likely released players list for Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2026 Mini Auction, from Devon Conway to Ravichandran Ashwin, see who CSK may drop after a disappointing 2025 season.

10th position. Yes, the Chennai Super Kings have had an unforgettable IPL 2025, where they finished at the bottom of the points table for the first time ever. It was also the only occasion where MS Dhoni as a player wasn’t a part of an IPL final after every year. Yes, MS Dhoni as a player has this unique record where he was a part of an IPL final almost every alternate year in the Indian Premier League, until last year.

Meanwhile, the Men in Yellow had an underwhelming year where their traditional strategies were tested to the core. CSK is a team that generally focuses on tried and tested players. This strategy has worked for them for almost 17 years. But this wasn’t the case in 2025. After a Mega Auction, the Chennai Super Kings’ squad felt strong on paper. They got the players they wanted, and most of them were experienced. However, the performance was more or less a contradiction of what they expected. 

Their strength turned into a major weakness, and unfortunately, almost all of their experienced batters started underperforming. Having lost Ruturaj Gaikwad at the start of the tournament, CSK relied on the likes of Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, and Deepak Hooda. But to our surprise, none of these batters played to potential, and CSK ultimately gave up on them after persisting for 6-7 matches. 

CSK Added Fresh Legs as Replacement in IPL 2025

The Chennai Super Kings‘ season took a drastic turn when they realised their mistake that the old foes’ strategy may not work anymore, and to rectify this, they added three young players to the squad, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, and Urvil Patel. While CSK’s bowling was going stronger, the addition of these three players made this team a tough team to beat. The batters started firing, and all of a sudden, CSK felt a stronger side.

While CSK still couldn’t win a lot of matches even after that, they were at least far more competitive than in their previous matches. Given that they now understand that they can’t persist with players who are no longer an asset in the T20 format, expect CSK to make a few changes in their existing personnel, and release a few players who no longer add much value in the T20 side. But which are the players that CSK may contemplate removing?

Predicted Releases Players for CSK – IPL 2026

The major issue that CSK faced with their personnel was their batting. Most of the batters felt out of form, and those are the ones that CSK may contemplate removing first. Among the big names, we are looking at the likes of Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Devon Conway, and Vijay Shankar. These four batters are not fit for T20 cricket anymore, and given CSK already have solid replacements for them in the form of Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, and Dewald Brevis, releasing them will be the right strategy.

Coming to All-rounders, CSK already have plenty of them in the side. But the ones that no longer needed are Ravichandran Ashwin and Jamie Overton. While Ashwin seems a finished product in the T20 format, Overton is neither a good bowler nor a good finisher. So, retaining these two players doesn’t look like a wise strategy. So, alongside those four batters, expect Chennai Super Kings to also release these all-rounders.

Now, talking about the bowlers, CSK does have 4 more names, who may be left out in search of better players in the Auction. Among pacers, CSK are likely to release Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, and Kamlesh Nagarkoti. Whereas among spinners, Shreyas Gopal is expected to make way. While Shreyas, Kamlesh, and Gurjapneet are sure-short releases, given they didn’t participate even as CSK tried almost every player, Mukesh has just lost his touch, and isn’t the most valuable player anymore. 

IPL 2026 Likely Released Players List for Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

1. Rahul Tripathi
2. Devon Conway (o)
3. Deepak Hooda
4. Ravichandran Ashwin
5. Vijay Shankar
6. Gurjapneet Singh
7. Shreyas Gopal
8. Kamlesh Nagarkoti
9. Jamie Overton (o)
10. Mukesh Choudhary 

Finally, the biggest question that CSK may face is the future of MS Dhoni. Dhoni, who is already 42, is the oldest player in the Indian Premier League. There is no doubt that MS Dhoni is still fit, and can continue with the team for another year. But barring his brand image, he isn’t adding anything spectacular to the team. However, even then, MS Dhoni’s mere presence on the field feels like a dream for his fans. So, for one more year in 2026, expect CSK to continue retaining MS Dhoni. 

So, that’s the best released players list for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 Mini Auction. Which players do you think CSK will retain for sure? Please share your thoughts on ipladdafounder@gmail.com.

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