3 CSK players who should be released ahead of the IPL 2026 auction ft. Ravichandran Ashwin

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had a disastrous campaign in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). Expected to comfortably qualify for the playoffs, they missed out by a fair margin and finished dead last in the standings.

CSK's replacement signings - Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel and Ayush Mhatre - have made their life easier ahead of the IPL 2026 season. But there's no doubt that the Men in Yellow have a lot of work to do at the auction, before which they will need to free up some of their budget.

CSK's squad for IPL 2025 (including replacements): Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Shaik Rasheed, Deepak Hooda, Andre Siddarth, Devon Conway, MS Dhoni, Vansh Bedi, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, R Ashwin, Sam Curran, Rachin Ravindra, Vijay Shankar, Anshul Kamboj, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Shreyas Gopal, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre.

On that note, here are three CSK players who should be released ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

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#3 Devon Conway

2025 IPL - Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals - Source: Getty

Signed for over ₹6 crore, Devon Conway was in and out of the CSK side during IPL 2025. The Kiwi left-hander didn't seem to be in great form, and there's no doubt that his game hasn't developed enough for him to be a reliable modern-day T20 opener.

Conway is not only commanding a significant salary but also not adding much to the future of the franchise. His skills are clearly on the wane, and him getting game time ahead of Rachin Ravindra doesn't make sense from the Super Kings' perspective. It seems natural that the experienced batter will part ways with the franchise ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

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#2 Ravichandran Ashwin

Chennai Super Kings Attain Practice Session In Kolkata. - Source: Getty

Ravichandran Ashwin's relationship with the Chennai Super Kings has been in the news for a few of the wrong reasons lately. However, keeping off-field drama aside, it might be time for the five-time IPL champions to let go of one of their biggest legends.

Ashwin didn't feature in the playing XII throughout the previous campaign, and with Chepauk not being as spin-friendly as expected, he didn't form the fearsome spin trio everyone thought he would with Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmad. The 38-year-old couldn't contribute much with the bat either, and it's debatable whether there's a role for a specialist finger-spinner in modern T20 cricket.

Ashwin, who is on a contract worth nearly ₹10 crore, might just be at the end of his magical journey with his hometown franchise.

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#1 Rahul Tripathi

2025 IPL - Lucknow Super Giants v Chennai Super Kings - Source: Getty

Rahul Tripathi has been a useful batter for all the franchises he had played for in the IPL, so CSK signing him wasn't a surprise. However, the dynamic batter was a shadow of himself earlier this year, failing to get on the scoresheet on a regular basis.

Tripathi, who was signed for over ₹3 crore, is clearly closer to the end than the beginning. He has obvious technical weaknesses against hard lengths and swing, while his spin game seems to have deteriorated as well. The 34-year-old should ideally be replaced by a younger batter with a higher upside.