Experienced Indian off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin Has presented a detailed analysis of Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) auction strategy for Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 The auction, which has been defined by their need to strengthen the squad after last disappointing season. With a huge purse of Rs 43.40 crore, the five-time champions are expected to bid aggressively for players who meet their specific requirements, especially after the withdrawal of key international names like. glen maxwell From the auction.
Ravichandran Ashwin picked as CSK’s top priority for IPL 2026 auction
Ashwin revealed which players he believes CSK will prioritize to fill the vacancies in their squad, first focusing on an Indian all-rounder who was released after poor performances in the 2025 season. He also identified the England power-hitter as the perfect overseas replacement for the vacant spot.
“CSK’s first priority will be Venkatesh Iyer. They might have thought of Maxwell second. Now that he is out, it will be Livingstone.” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel while clarifying the strategic changes dictated by the availability of players.
This prediction comes despite Iyer’s tremendous IPL 2025 campaign with KKR, which saw Iyer command a mega-auction price of Rs 23.75 crore and the maximum base price of Rs 2 crore for the current auction. During this time, liam livingstone (Issued by rcb) has shown his form with an unbeaten 82 in ILT20 2025, making him a key target in the away rounds. As space was created for these big purchases by the release of players Mathisha PathiranaAshwin termed the move as a very calculated decision. He explained that the goal was to free up funds to pursue marquee all-rounders:
“Most teams thought Andre Russell would be in the auction even before his release. Keeping this in mind, CSK wanted to pick up Russell or Cameron Green. But they had no chance with Rs 30 crore, and hence, Mathisha Pathirana looked like a very obvious release.” Ashwin concluded.
Also read: Ravichandran Ashwin names uncapped young players who CSK should target in the IPL 2026 auction
IPL 2025 performance of Chennai Super Kings under MS Dhoni
The need for a significant strategic change, as underlined by Ashwin, directly stems from Chennai Super Kings’ disastrous performance in the 2025 season, one of the worst in the franchise’s illustrious history. The team struggled with consistency both home and away, culminating in historically poor performances in the league standings.
Poor performance led to an urgent need for an aggressive reset:
- Final position: 10th place (last)
- Matches played: 14
- Matches won: 4
- Lost matches: 10
- Key figures: For the first time in its history, CSK lost five matches at its home ground, MA Chidambaram Stadium.
- Elimination: They were the first team to be officially eliminated from the playoff race.
Despite the collective failure of the team, some players maintained their performance Shivam Dubey Finished as Afghanistan’s top run-scorer and spinner Noor Ahmed Leading the bowling charts with 24 wickets. This last situation, coupled with the need to acquire high-impact players, validates the need for their current large auction purse (the second largest in the league) as they look to rebuild the team’s core.
Also read: Ravichandran Ashwin suggests CSK should target 3 players in IPL 2026 auction
