East Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batsman Robin Uthappa The franchise strategy for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 The auction predicts that they will target two specific international all-rounders.
CSK has already made the biggest squad reset among all the franchises, releasing a total of 11 players including key foreign stars. devon conway, Rachin Ravindra and traded Sam CurranThis massive purge has equipped the Super Kings with a strong purse of Rs 43,4 crore, giving them significant financial muscle to rebuild their team, Uthappa’s predictions point to CSK using this deep purse to acquire high-impact overseas all-rounders, in line with the franchise’s historical preference for multi-utility players,
Robin Uthappa’s two overseas targets for CSK in IPL 2026 auction
Robin Uthappa He specifically named two international all-rounders whom he believes CSK’s management is under the leadership of the head coach. Stephen FlemingTo strengthen their team, they will move aggressively in the IPL 2026 auction. These players, both recently released by their former teams, offer the kind of multidimensional skillset that Chennai has traditionally valued.
- Glenn Maxwell (Australian all-rounder): Uthappa believes that CSK will target Maxwell, who has been released by Punjab Kings (PBKS). He cited head coach Stephen Fleming’s preference for the Australians, saying: “I know Stephen Fleming likes Maxwell, so he might go after him.” Uthappa suggested that CSK are uniquely positioned to handle the star, claiming: “He could go there, and I think only they (CSK) can handle his personality.” Despite Maxwell’s disappointing season with the bat last year, scoring just 48 runs in six innings, Uthappa argued that his importance to CSK would primarily be as a bowler. He concluded: “I consider Maxwell more of a bowler than a batsman, especially in the IPL, because he has faltered a lot. But as a bowler, he has been quite consistent. I think his utility as a bowler will be very high. If he clicks as a batsman, it will be a blast.”
- Liam Livingstone (English all-rounder): Former batsman Mohammad Kaif, echoing Uthappa’s strategic thinking for CSK, also named a second high-impact all-rounder, Livingstone (released by RCB), as a possible target. Kaif advised CSK to target both: “So they will go behind the likes of Livingstone and Maxwell.” Kaif explained that Livingstone, who is an explosive middle-order batsman and a useful spinner, would be a perfect fit for the Chepauk pitch: “Livingstone will also be a good fit for Chennai. He can become their sixth bowler who bats at number five.” He said that the team’s historical success comes from relying on deep batting and all-round players: “CSK has a history of batting deep and looking at all-rounders. Overton played because he could bat, same happened with Curran. Bravo played so many years because he was an all-rounder, Albie Morkel too.”
Disappointing IPL 2025: Chennai Super Kings’ disappointing final finish
The 2025 season was the worst campaign in CSK’s illustrious history, as the team finished at the bottom of the table (10th place) for the first time since the inception of the league. The five-time champions recorded a disappointing record of only four wins from 14 matches and were the first team to be officially eliminated from the playoff race. The campaign opened up even more when he was appointed captain Ruturaj Gaikwad He was ruled out mid-season due to an elbow injury. ms dhoni To step up as acting captain, although even his leadership could not arrest the decline.
The team’s batting was a major concern, recording the lowest powerplay run rate across the league at 8.70. Leading foreign opening batsman, devon conway (156 runs in six innings) and Rachin Ravindra (191 runs in eight innings) suffered a huge decline in returns compared to the previous season. Furthermore, CSK suffered a historic defeat by losing five home matches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. This disappointing performance directly led to franchises embarking on a massive squad reset and high-profile trades ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.
Also read: Mohammad Kaif picks two bowlers whom CSK can target in IPL 2026 mini auction
