Chennai Super Kings had their worst season ever in 2025! They finished dead last in the tournament standings. That shocked everyone who has followed CSK religiously over the years.
The five-time champions needed serious changes to bounce back strong. Now they’ve announced their IPL retained players 2026 CSK list finally. Let’s see what changes they made for the IPL 2026.
CSK Retained Players List for IPL 2026
- MS Dhoni
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Sanju Samson
- Ayush Mhatre
- Dewald Brevis
- Ramakrishna Ghosh
- Shivam Dube
- Urvil Patel
- Anshul Kamboj
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Mukesh Choudhary
- Nathan Ellis
- Noor Ahmad
- Shreyas Gopal
- Jamie Overton
- Gurjapneet Singh
Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad stays to lead the team in IPL 2026. The young opener earned this captaincy role through consistent performances. MS Dhoni remains with the team in some capacity still. His experience guides the young players behind the scenes.
Young gun Ayush Mhatre made the staying players list surprisingly. Dewald Brevis got retained too, after showing promise last year. Super Kings believe in developing young talent for the future clearly.
The complete list shows they want a mix of experience and youth. They kept their core Indian players mostly intact. The retained players give a solid foundation to build upon.
Chennai Super Kings’ Big Trade and Released Players
Super Kings pulled off a massive trade before IPL 2026 began. They got Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals for ₹18 crore. That’s a huge signing for the yellow army right there. Samson brings explosive batting to the middle order now.
But they also lost some key star players they had. Ravindra Jadeja moved to Rajasthan Royals in the same deal. Sam Curran also left for RR as part of this trade. These were tough calls by the management honestly.
Losing Jadeja hurts because he served CSK for so many years. Curran was their premium overseas all-rounder last season too. But sometimes teams need bold moves after finishing last.
Chennai Super Kings’ Budget and Strategy for IPL 2026
They entered the auction with ₹43.40 crore available to spend. That’s the second-highest purse among all teams participating. They can buy quality players at the auction easily now.
The retained players cost them less than expected actually. This gives them the flexibility to target specific positions needed. They’ll look for overseas bowlers and all-rounders probably.
MS Dhoni’s influence shows in these retention decisions clearly. He knows how to build championship-winning teams over the years. CSK fans hope these changes bring back their winning culture.
