Five -time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have started their preparations for IPL 2026 with a five -day test camp at their high performance center. Head coach Stephen Fleming and Fielding Coach Rajiv Kumar participated in sessions, which are part of the team’s preparation before the upcoming auction.
Super Kings last won their fifth IPL title in 2023, but struggled to make an impact in the last two sessions, which failed to reach the playoffs. Last year, the team won only four in 14 matches. He finished finally on the points table for the first time in his IPL history, forcing him to overhall the squad.
Chennai Super Kings conducted a trial camp with 40-50 players
According to a report by the Indian Express, Chennai Super Kings are operating a test camp with 40–50 players, and former captain MS Dhoni is closely involved in the process. The team is focusing on batsmen to fix their weaknesses.
There have been rumors that CSK can sign Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals. However, the report states that transfer is unlikely. With no certainty about Samson, the franchise is searching for several options for the upcoming player auction.
“While there are a lot of chatter around the franchise interested in bringing Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, the Indian Express understands that there is no possibility of being physically discussed as things to be discussed about transfer.
KL Rahul on Chennai Super Kings radar for IPL 2026?
The report said the franchise is interested in a famous Indian batsman who has fallen below the Peking order in T20IS. Many fans believe that the player may be KL Rahul. It is not certain that he participated in the ongoing tests, which ended on Saturday.
The franchise tried to secure KL Rahul in the previous auction, but Delhi Capital (DC) secured him for Rs 14 crore. MS Dhoni’s side was second in the bidding process with Rs 13.75 crore. The report said that Rahul may be a part of the upcoming player Pool.
The report said, “It is also a rage that another major Indian player, who had shown interest to bring Chepuk’s house in the final player auction, could enter the auction pool. A clear picture on it is expected in the coming days.”
KL Rahul’s performance for Delhi’s capitals in IPL 2025
KL Rahul had an impressive season in 2025. He scored an average of 53.9 in 13 innings and 539 runs at a strike rate of 149.72, the highest in a season since 2018. The right -handed batsman scored a century and three fifties. He ended as the top run-scorer of Delhi Capital, but the team failed to reach the playoffs.
While KL Rahul has scored 500 runs in a consecutive season, his T20 strike rate was a matter of concern over the years. He demonstrated his aggressive batting despite batting in different positions for Delhi in 2025.
Rahul missed India’s 2024 T20 World Cup winning squad and is not even part of the Asia Cup 2025 team in UAE. The wicketkeeper-better was last played for India in the T20I during the 2022 T20 World Cup, where India lost to England in the semi-finals.
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