3 players CSK shouldn't have released ahead of the IPL 2024 auction

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are gearing up for the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, which will be held in Dubai on December 19.

The Men in Yellow freed up a significant chunk of their purse with the release of superstar all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was signed for more than ₹16 crore at the IPL 2023 auction but didn't make an impact. Ambati Rayudu's retirement has also ensured that the Super Kings will have a decent amount to spend.

At the same time, however, CSK made a couple of interesting decisions while announcing their retentions. Some names who have excelled in domestic cricket of late, apart from a few seasoned overseas professionals, were let go of.

CSK's squad ahead of IPL 2024 auction: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Moeen Ali, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Devon Conway, Shivam Dube, Mitchell Santner, Tushar Deshpande, Ravindra Jadeja, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Chahar, Matheesha Pathirana, Simarjeet Singh, Prashant Solanki, Maheesh Theekshana, Nishant Sindhu, Ajinkya Rahane, Ajay Mandal, Shaik Rasheed.

Here are three players CSK shouldn't have released ahead of the IPL 2024 auction.

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#3 Subhranshu Senapati

Subhranshu Senapati [center] seemed all set for a breakthrough season

Subhranshu Senapati hasn't played an official game for CSK yet, but he made headlines last year with a couple of impressive efforts after coming on as a substitute fielder.

Having been part of the impact player roster on a regular basis in IPL 2023, Senapati was expected to be given a bigger role this time around. The 26-year-old even had an excellent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign for Odisha, making 265 runs in seven innings at an average of 44.16 and a strike rate of 148.04. He also blasted an unbeaten century in the competition.

However, Senapati has been released by CSK. The middle-order batter might have interest from a few other franchises at the IPL 2024 auction.

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#2 Akash Singh

Akash Singh impressed in his maiden campaign for CSK

Unlike Senapati, Akash Singh was a regular feature on the CSK side during IPL 2023. An injury to Mukesh Choudhary meant that the Men in Yellow had the freedom to search for left-arm pacers elsewhere, and the impact player rule helped matters as well.

Akash played six matches, and while his economy rate of 9.89 wasn't all too impressive, he bowled at challenging phases of the innings and returned five wickets. He got the ball to swing both ways, even scalping big wickets such as that of Virat Kohli.

Akash didn't feature during the recent domestic white-ball season, and that, along with Choudhary's impending return, may have prompted CSK to look past him. However, as a 21-year-old with immense potential, the left-arm pacer could've been retained ahead of names like Simarjeet Singh.

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#1 Sisanda Magala

Sisanda Magala celebrates with his team: South Africa v Netherlands - 1st ODI

Another player who was signed as an injury replacement, Sisanda Magala played just two games for CSK in IPL 2023 before having his own season cut short. The South African has dealt with plenty of fitness issues of late, but when he is available, he is a valuable T20 asset.

Magala can hit hard lengths and also offers death-bowling value, with his yorkers and cutters being suited to the Chepauk surface. While he may not have been much more than a backup for Matheesha Pathirana, his big-hitting ability lower down the order would've complemented his bowling skillset.

However, Chennai decided to let Magala go, and it will be difficult for them to find a player of his caliber at the IPL 2024 auction without shelling out a huge amount. They could've kept him in the picture, especially after releasing the likes of Dwaine Pretorius and Kyle Jamieson.