Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has offered a detailed analysis of Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) auction strategy for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction, which is defined by their need to reinforce the squad after a dismal previous season. With a sizable purse of INR 43.40 crore, the five-time champions are expected to make aggressive bids for players who fit their specific requirements, particularly after the withdrawal of key international names like Glenn Maxwell from the auction.
Ravichandran Ashwin picks CSK’s top priority for the IPL 2026 auction
Ashwin pinpointed which players he believes CSK will prioritize to fill the voids in their squad, focusing first on an Indian all-rounder who was released after a lackluster 2025 season. He also identified an England’s power-hitter as the perfect overseas replacement for a vacant slot.
“CSK’s first priority will be Venkatesh Iyer. They would have thought of Maxwell in the other slot. Now that he’s out, it’ll be Livingstone,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel, making clear the tactical shifts dictated by player availability.
This prediction comes despite Iyer’s underwhelming IPL 2025 campaign with KKR, following a whopping INR 23.75 crore mega-auction price, and Iyer registering a maximum base price of INR 2 crore for the current auction. Meanwhile, Liam Livingstone (released by RCB) has shown his form by smashing an unbeaten 82 in the ILT20 2025, making him a prime overseas target. The space for these big buys was created by the release of players like Matheesha Pathirana, a move Ashwin termed a very calculative call. He explained the goal was to free up funds to chase marquee all-rounders:
“Most teams felt Andre Russell would be in the auction even before release. With that in mind, CSK wanted to pick Russell or Cameron Green. But they had no chance with 30 crores, and hence, Matheesha Pathirana looked like a very obvious release.” Ashwin concluded.
Chennai Super Kings’ IPL 2025 performance under MS Dhoni
The need for a significant strategic overhaul, as outlined by Ashwin, stems directly from the Chennai Super Kings’ disastrous performance in the 2025 season, one of the worst in the franchise’s celebrated history. The team struggled with consistency, both home and away, culminating in a historically poor finish in the league standings.
The poor showing led to an urgent need for an aggressive reset:
- Final Position: 10th Place (Last)
- Matches Played: 14
- Matches Won: 4
- Matches Lost: 10
- Key Stat: For the first time in their history, CSK lost five matches at their home ground, the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.
- Elimination: They were the first team to be officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Despite the team’s collective failure, a few players maintained their output, with Shivam Dube finishing as the top run-scorer, and Afghanistan’s spinner Noor Ahmad leading the bowling charts with 24 wickets. This final standing, coupled with the need to acquire high-impact players, validates the necessity of their current large auction purse (the second largest in the league) as they seek to rebuild the core of the squad.
