MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming (Source: @ShuhidAufridi/X)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were known for a whole different approach of backing experienced and so-called ‘old players,’ when almost every other side was going through a kind of transition in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
This approach worked for them, as they won the IPL 2018, lost the finals of 2019, and then again won in 2021 and 2023. Lots of fans and experts used to criticise CSK’s approach, and they were even called the dads' army at one point in time.
But the recently concluded IPL 2026 auction saw a totally different approach from the 5-time IPL champions. They invested in youngsters like Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer for INR 14.20 crores each, which is more than half of their auction purse of INR 43.50 crores.
It is very ironical that earlier the franchise was criticised for not backing the younger players, and now when they’ve done that, they are still getting questioned on their approach and how their potential middle order lacks experience.
Let’s talk about CSK’s approach in a bit more detail.
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A clear shift but not a blind one
Chennai Super Kings’ change in approach was very visible in the IPL 2026 mini auction. They tried getting Cameron Green up to their set budget, and when they failed to do so, they had clear plans of going big for Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer.
Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma (Source: @yxshh27,@TravisbickleCSK/X)
Both the youngsters are rated highly and can turn out to be real assets for the franchise. Kartik Sharma is a dynamic wicket-keeper batter who can bat in the middle order. He’s known for batting very aggressively in the domestic circuit.
Prashant Veer, on the other hand, is a like-to-like replacement for Ravindra Jadeja. He bowls left-arm orthodox and can tonk the ball down the order. Both of these players can replace two stalwarts of CSK - MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja - going into the future.
Coach Stephen Fleming said that ‘CSK were a bit late in evolving with the modern-day game.’ And their approach clearly reflects that they are now ready to play a totally different brand of cricket from what CSK is known for.
And if we look closely at the way they signed the likes of Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, and Ayush Mhatre last season, it’s evident that they want young and aggressive players with the bat who can turn the game around from any given situation.
So, CSK, ahead of the auction, knew what they wanted, and they seem to be pretty happy with how the auction panned out. CSK’s batting unit is quite young and explosive, and if it clicks how the franchise expects it to, then it’ll be a sight to witness them in action. So it’s a clear shift but certainly not a blind one.
A long game in a short cycle
The next mega-auction will happen after the 2027 edition of the IPL. Critics are saying that CSK may have overpaid for two talented but inexperienced players whom they potentially won’t even retain ahead of the mega auction.
But if things go as per the franchise, then a hard-hitting young wicket-keeper who bats in the middle order and a left-arm orthodox all-rounder who can whack the ball will be great assets to any side. This further will prove to be a great move considering Kartik is just 19 years old and Prashant is just 20.
And apart from these two, Dewald Brevis (22 years), Ayush Mhatre (18 years), Urvil Patel (27 years), Ruturaj Gaikwad (28 years), Noor Ahmad (20 years), and Sanju Samson (31 years) are such a young and talented core for them.
It’s clear that they won’t be able to retain all of them ahead of the mega auction, but they can retain most of them and will surely go for the others during the auction.
People are talking about if things go downside for CSK, then what will happen, but if we look at the upside of this approach, CSK will have a young core of players with the same mentality they want and continuity in their squad, and the franchise is always known for role clarity, so it won’t be an issue.
The franchise has quietly built a strong, young, and potentially excellent side in a matter of just one year, from the IPL 2025 to the 2026 auction. This is an investment from the stakeholders and CSK management and not a gamble to buy such young players.
Promise on paper, pressure on the field
Having said all this, things are not as simple as they look, especially in a tournament like the IPL. There will be pressure on the likes of Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer to deliver when the team needs them to, and given they’ll need some time to get used to the IPL pressure, they’ll have to develop quickly.
MS Dhoni with Dewald Brevis (Source: @cricbuzz/X)
Also, considering how CSK’s squad is for the next season of the IPL, the margin of error for the youngsters is also less. All the youngsters will also have to stay away from the external noise, like from social media and their price tag pressure.
Chennai Super Kings will be in big trouble if this shift in strategy doesn’t work out. Previously, the franchise picked Sameer Rizvi, and he also got all the hype, but later he was released. They also had the likes of C Andre Siddharth, Shaikh Rasheed and Vansh Bedi with them last year, but none of them are with the franchise currently.
There certainly are challenges for the franchise, but none of them are structural flaws, and instead they are by-products of their new approach. The only exception is that they could’ve picked one or two good middle-order options with the bat instead of Matthew Short.
CSK may not get the exact results in the next season itself, but we’ll get a glimpse of how things will pan out for the franchise heading into the future.
The Super Kings franchise is known for going different from the others. Earlier they backed the experienced players, and the results spoke for themselves. Now, they have taken a complete U-turn and have backed the youngsters who can turn out to be their face for years to come.
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