The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise, entering the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini-auction with the second-highest purse of ₹43.40 crore and a significant rebuilding task following a bottom-place finish in 2025, has sparked massive speculation through a cryptic social media video. This short film, featuring the franchise mascot Leo on a shopping trip, has been widely dissected by fans and media, leading to strong suggestions about their top three targets while simultaneously hinting at a potential shift away from the widely touted chase for Cameron Green.
Decoding CSK’s cryptic top 3 IPL 2026 auction targets
The entire speculation hinges on the climax of the one-minute, 37-second video, where the mascot, Leo, makes three specific purchases at a vegetable market, placing them in a bag. These three items have been universally decoded as direct clues to the franchise’s intended acquisitions:
- Kiwi Fruit (New Zealand Link): The purchase of the kiwi fruit is seen as a clear and almost unanimous hint towards pursuing a major New Zealand player. Given CSK recently released former New Zealand stars Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, this suggests the franchise is intent on bringing a high-impact Kiwi player back into the squad. Ravichandran Ashwin even fuelled speculation by suggesting the target could be pace bowler Matt Henry.
- Apples (The J&K Connection): The apples are interpreted as a deliberate reference to the fruit’s strong association with Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). This clue points directly toward the uncapped domestic talent Auqib Nabi. Nabi, a fast bowler from J&K, has recently gained significant recognition in the domestic circuit, notably becoming the first bowler in Duleep Trophy history to claim four wickets in four balls. His strong performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and subsequent trial with the Mumbai Indians suggest he is a prime uncapped target for teams looking to boost Indian seam-bowling depth.
- Local Mixture Packet (The Tamil Nadu Root): The local ‘mixture’ snack packet is widely viewed as a signal that CSK is targeting a player with strong local connections to Tamil Nadu. Fans quickly linked this clue to the Indore-born all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer, who was released by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) after an ordinary IPL 2025 season. Despite playing for Madhya Pradesh, Iyer has family roots in Tamil Nadu, and the ‘mixture’ may signify the franchise’s desire for a versatile, domestic all-rounder.
The Cameron Green dilemma and alternative all-rounder strategy
The most talked-about omission from this cryptic three-item shortlist is the absence of any obvious hint towards Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, who is widely predicted to be the most expensive player in the auction. Reports noted a curious detail in the video where the mascot Leo ignores or turns away from shops selling green vegetables and chillies.
This subtle rejection has led to two main theories among the fan base:
- No Green Chase: One school of thought suggests that CSK’s management is convinced by Green’s immense expected cost, which could consume a majority of their ₹43.40 crore purse, and has therefore decided to drop the chase, exploring more cost-effective options.
- General All-Rounder Hint: The opposing theory holds that the ‘mixture packet’ is a broader, more generic hint indicating that CSK’s primary goal is to acquire a top-tier all-rounder to fill the void left by released players like Sam Curran, regardless of whether that is Green or another target like Liam Livingstone.
While CSK’s actual auction strategy remains a mystery, the video clearly suggests a focus on securing a New Zealand star, an exciting domestic fast bowler from J&K, and a left-field domestic all-rounder with local ties, while leaving the question of the high-profile Cameron Green chase purposefully ambiguous.
