In a shocking change ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is reportedly set to release several big names. The five-time champions are planning a major rebuild ahead of the next IPL season after several embarrassing seasons in their history.
It is being said that Chennai Super Kings, who failed to qualify for the playoffs for consecutive seasons for the first time in IPL history, are set to release four overseas and three Indian players ahead of the IPL 2026 auction to be held later this year.
Chennai Super Kings to release 7 players before IPL 2026 auction
England all-rounder Sam Curran, England fast bowler Jamie Overton, Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis and New Zealand batsman Devon Conway are the four overseas stars who will lose CSK contracts ahead of the next edition of the IPL, reports RevSportz.
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Talking about Indian players, star all-rounder Deepak Hooda, left-arm fast bowler Gurjapaneet Singh and batsman Rahul Tripathi are expected to be released by CSK before the auction.
The decision to part ways with these players will free up a significant portion of its purse to target young Indian talent and a new overseas core for the upcoming edition.
MS Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad plan CSK’s future
Chennai Super Kings’ potentially bold move signals a new strategic direction in the post-MS Dhoni era, as the team looks to rebuild around a new leadership group and a more dynamic mix of players. It has also been revealed in the report that there was a meeting between Dhoni and captain Ruturaj Gaikwad recently.
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However, the agenda of that meeting was not the release of these players, rather they discussed it and now they are preparing to make it official in the coming weeks. It is also being said that unlike last season, Dhoni will be significantly involved in the auction strategy along with Gaikwad.
Urvil Patel stuns fans by stumping in MS Dhoni style
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings’ rising wicketkeeper-batsman Urvil Patel has taken social media by storm by giving a glimpse of MS Dhoni’s brilliant wicketkeeping skills. The 27-year-old displayed a brilliant display of glove work that reminded fans of Dhoni’s lightning-quick stumpings.
In the viral Instagram clip, Urvil performed a spectacular stumping which left the batsman completely stunned. The ball barely hit the edge and in the blink of an eye, Urvil collected the ball cleanly and before the batsman could regain his balance, the ball hit the bails.
The precision and speed of that moment were so Dhoni-like that fans couldn’t stop themselves from drawing comparisons with the CSK legend. Patel captioned the video: “Not learned from books… learned from Mahan-Thala himself.”
The video quickly went viral on social media, with fans praising Urvil’s incredible reflexes and patience. Even CSK’s official account joined the discussion, acknowledging the young cricketer’s extraordinary effort by saying, “Excellent work! .”
Many fans called it a “Dhoni-style” masterclass, and celebrated how effortlessly the next generation is carrying on the team’s legacy.
