Aakash Chopra, one of the most popular cricket analysts, has said that Chennai Super Kings’ auction preferences in the mini-auction 2026 were largely driven by Ruturaj Gaikwad and not by former captain MS Dhoni, as the team showed a clear transition from experienced players to young guns.
Five-time IPL defending champions Chennai Super Kings have failed to impress with their performances in the last two seasons. IPL 2025 was their worst season, where CSK finished last in the points table. However, the only positive for the Super Kings was the young cricket talent.
The team, known to favor experience more than anything else, has now moved on from its previous strategy and is looking to shift its focus to younger players. This change of mind was evident in the IPL 2026 mini-auction.
Aakash Chopra said, “Suddenly, you feel that this is not MS Dhoni’s team but Ruturaj Gaikwad.”
Chennai Super Kings had the second-largest purse in the mini-auction, and despite this, they did not go all out for many of the biggest names in the game. Instead, he chose young uncapped cricketers. Surprised by the turn of events, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra said that Ruturaj Gaikwad has taken control of CSK’s decisions.
Cricket analyst believes that this team never looked like Dhoni’s team. Dhoni’s team had a lot of experience, but now they have moved beyond that period and have changed their ideological axis.
Chopra said, “A question comes to my mind. Whose team is this? You might be wondering why I asked this question. This used to be Dhoni’s team. It does not seem like MS Dhoni’s team to me. If you ask me if this is Dhoni’s team, I will say no. When you see all the inclination towards youth, suddenly you feel that this is not MS Dhoni’s team but Ruturaj Gaikwad’s team.”
He said, “When MS Dhoni used to make the team, he had a lot of experience with him. He used to support them a lot, but here there has been a pivot. This is the biggest philosophical and ideological pivot in the history of this tournament, where Chennai has become completely young with experience.”
Aakash Chopra said, “Jaddu would have still given you two more years.”
Following this, Aakash Chopra complained about CSK moving on from Ravindra Jadeja too early, as the experienced Indian all-rounder could have come in handy for a few more years. He also said that, in his opinion, young Prashant Weir is not an equal option for him.
“I’m also asking this question because you let Jadeja go for just ₹14 crore and you took Prashant Veer. This doesn’t seem like an equal replacement anywhere. Jaddu would have still given you two more years. I understand you wanted Sanju Samson, but Prashant Veer, is this an upgrade?” He observed.
Chopra felt that CSK would have tried their hands on Sanju Samson after retaining Ravindra Jadeja, if they had already made up their mind to release Mathisha Pathirana, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar and Rahul Tripathi.
Aakash Chopra picks an interesting playing eleven for CSK
In the opinion of Aakash Chopra, MS Dhoni’s team in this IPL will largely consist of Indian players. “His selection has been very interesting because when you try to make an XI, it seems like you can make the entire Indian team and you just need one or two foreign players,” he said.
The top order is already loaded with Indian players: captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, recently arrived wicketkeeper batsman Sanju Samson, and some intriguing youngsters like Urvil Patel and Ayush Mhatre.
The middle order could be a combination of Indian and foreign players, with Shivam Dubey, Dewald Brevis and Karthik Sharma being big options for CSK. Chopra advised Prashant Veer to be placed ahead of MS Dhoni in the batting order.
Noor Ahmed and Khalil Ahmed will be the two fast bowlers in the team. After CSK parted ways with Mathisha Pathirana, Chopra voted for Nathan Ellis in the team. Even in the impact player role, CSK is full of Indian options, with Anshul Kamboj and Rahul Chahar being the biggest contenders.
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