3 reasons why CSK must not release Sam Curran ahead of IPL 2026 auction

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) would reportedly release England all-rounder Sam Curran ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction later this year. Apart from Curran, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, and Devon Conway could also be shown the exit door, reported Cricbuzz on Friday, October 10. Notably, the five-time champions will look to buy a few quality players after finishing tenth in the IPL 2025 points table.

The Chennai-based franchise is looking to increase its purse to target big names in the auction, like Australian all-rounder Cameron Green. With Ravichandran Ashwin already retired, they have already got an extra INR 9.75 crore in their bag.

Meanwhile, uncertainty looms large over Curran’s place following his below-par performance last season. The 27-year-old scored 114 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 135.71. With the ball, the medium pacer managed a solitary scalp.

The Super Kings are known to bounce back strongly after setbacks. They will be keen to repeat their wonder by building a strong team for the 2026 batch. With suspense over MS Dhoni’s place, the team management would make sure they leave no stone unturned to give him a fitting farewell by winning their record sixth title.

In this article, we take a possible look at why CSK should retain Sam Curran ahead of the IPL 2026 auction.

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3 reasons why CSK must not release Sam Curran ahead of IPL 2026 auction

#Offers experience, stability, and a leadership role

Having played 300 T20s, Sam Curran holds a wealth of experience. The left-handed batter has amassed 4,825 runs in 245 innings at a strike rate of 137.66 with the help of one century and 28 fifties. The left-arm pacer is equally brilliant with the ball, bagging 291 wickets in 289 innings, including four five-wicket hauls.

Additionally, Curran has played in several overseas T20 leagues like ILT20, SA20, and The Hundred. Earlier this year, he won The Hundred 2025 trophy with Oval Invincibles.

The Northampton-born player has also been a regular in the IPL, playing 64 matches in the T20 League. The southpaw has amassed 997 runs in 53 innings, comprising six half-centuries. The medium pacer has also bagged 59 wickets at an economy rate of 9.73. Notably, he has spent three seasons with CSK in Chepauk, including his breakthrough season in 2020/21, where he bagged 13 wickets and scored 186 runs.

With Jamie Overton as the only notable option from the 2025 squad, there is a dearth of quality seam all-rounder at CSK. Thus, Curran can be a regular feature among the four overseas players in the playing XI.

The English all-rounder also offers a leadership role within the group. He has led Punjab Kings (PBKS) to five wins in 11 games during the 2023-24 season.

With uncertainty around MS Dhoni’s future, Curran can be the stand-in captain if Ruturaj Gaikwad misses a few games due to a niggle or injury. Notably, Gaikwad was ruled out of IPL 2025 due to an elbow fracture, forcing Dhoni to take over mid-season.

#Lack of quality seam-bowling allrounder with big names already sold

With big names like Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen (Punjab Kings), and Romario Shepherd (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) likely to be retained, there will only be a handful of quality seam bowling all-rounders for CSK at the IPL 2026 auction. Several teams will go all out for Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green, who is likely to be one of the biggest names at the auction.

Meanwhile, seam-bowling all-rounders like Roston Chase (West Indies) and Nathan Smith (New Zealand) might re-enter the auction after going unsold last year, but there will be a lack of quality.

In such a situation, the Super Kings will lack a proper all-rounder and might have to settle for a one-dimensional player in a bowler or batter. As per Cricbuzz, T Natarajan, Mitchell Starc, Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav, and David Miller will be looking for new franchises.

#CSK bought the English all-rounder for an absolute steal at the mega auction

CSK bought Sam Curran at just ₹2.4 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction. Unfortunately, the team failed to utilize the player to the best of his potential. Releasing him ahead of the auction will not add much to the Super Kings’ purse, and there is no guarantee of securing a player like Curran for the above price in the 2026 auction.

It’s worth mentioning that Curran took a massive pay cut as CSK bought him at the IPL 2025 auction. The Punjab Kings (PBKS) had bought him for a whopping ₹18.5 crore for the IPL 2023 season. The Punjab-based side had retained him for the same amount in the 2024 season. The all-rounder also proved his worth by scoring 276 and 270 runs in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, respectively. He also stepped up with the ball by bagging 10 and 16 wickets, respectively. Thus, CSK can take a risk with Curran in the 2026 season.