ipl 2026 auction Blockbuster bidding was held in Abu Dhabi on 16 December, with teams spending Rs 215.45 crore on 77 players, including 29 foreign stars. Chennai Super Kings They came out aggressively, spending almost their entire ₹125 crore to secure 25 players and only ₹2.40 crore was left. Untapped Sensibilities Prashant Veer And Karthik Sharma Trade-in breaks record as joint highest payout of ₹14.20 crore each as captain sanju samson Ordered for ₹18 crore.
Season of high expectations for Chennai Super Kings after relying on young guns
Chennai Super Kings enter IPL 2026 with renewed vigor after a disappointing 2025 season, led by youth-inspired firepower under new influences like Samson. retained captain Ruturaj Gaikwad Paired with Samson at ₹18 crore each, the blend of experience and aggression makes for a dynamic opening pair – Samson’s explosive 2025 domestic form (500+ runs at 180+ strike rate) justifies the trade Rajasthan RoyalsCSK targeted raw talent, spending ₹ 28,40 crore on Veer and Karthik, whose base price was a mere ₹ 30 lakh, indicating the franchise’s confidence in unproven gems, ms dhoni₹ 4 crore retention as mentor-wicketkeeper.
Uttar Pradesh all-rounder Veer impressed with 20 wickets and 300 runs in the recent Ranji games and earned CSK’s mega-bid thanks to his seam-bowling variations and lower-order hitting. Karthik reflects this as a wicketkeeper-batsman with sharp glovework and pace in the middle overs Madhya Pradesh Domestic circuit. Shivam Dubey Anchors the finishers, Noor Ahmed Strengthened the spin attack by teaming up with giants like Khalil Ahmed to control death
like foreigner dewald brevis, nathan ellisAnd Akil Hossein Add global depth, with eight strategically filled overseas slots. -Anshul Kamboj And Gurjapneet Singh Provide home speed options, while preferring budget shopping Rahul Chahar And Mukesh Chaudhary Ensure spin-speed balance. This team depth sets CSK up for a playoff push, taking advantage of youthful energy on batting-friendly pitches
Also read: IPL 2026 auction: Complete list of unsold players including base price
CSK players salary in IPL 2026
CSK’s auction strategy prioritized maximum spending on top batsmen and uncapped all-rounders, with Gaikwad along with Samson topping the list with Rs 18 crore. Veer’s ₹14.20 crore deal highlights CSK’s youth gamble, which outshines rivals for his utility across all phases. Below is the full description:
| Sl.No. | player | Selling Price (₹) |
| 1 | sanju samson | 18 crores |
| 2 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | 18 crores |
| 3 | Karthik Sharma | 14 crore 20 lakh |
| 4 | Prashant Veer | 14 crore 20 lakh |
| 5 | Shivam Dubey | 12 crores |
| 6 | Noor Ahmed | 100 million |
| 7 | Rahul Chahar | 5 crore 20 lakh |
| 8 | Khalil Ahmed | 4 crore 80 lakh |
| 9 | ms dhoni | 4 crores |
| 10 | -Anshul Kamboj | 3 crore 40 lakh |
| 11 | Gurjapneet Singh | 2 crore 20 lakh |
| 12 | dewald brevis | 2 crore 20 lakh |
| 13 | nathan ellis | 2 crores |
| 14 | Akil Hossein | 2 crores |
| 15 | matt henry | 2 crores |
| 16 | matthew short | 1 crore 50 lakh |
| 17 | jamie overton | 1 crore 50 lakh |
| 18 | Sarfaraz Khan | 75 lakhs |
| 19 | zak faulx | 75 lakhs |
| 20 | Aman Khan | 40 lakhs |
| 21 | Shreyas Gopal | 30 million |
| 22 | Ayush Mhatre | 30 million |
| 23 | Ramakrishna Ghosh | 30 million |
| 24 | Urvil Patel | 30 million |
| 25 | Mukesh Chaudhary | 30 million |
Also read: IPL 2026 auction: Complete list of sold players with their prices
