The Chennai Super Kings, five-time IPL champions and one of the most exciting teams in franchise cricket, have revamped their philosophy by focusing heavily on young players, particularly uncapped Indian talent. It showed a change in their believe system. CSK remained a team that always preferred experience over anything, but in the last two years, the way cricket and IPL have evolved, CSK was running behind the clock.
In last year's auction, CSK stuck to their philosophy and went for proven batters. Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Deepak Hooda, Devon Conway, and Rachin Ravindra were among the batters who played in yellow, but every one of them failed to adapt to modern cricket. As a result, CSK had to bring in replacements mid-season. Captain Ruturaj, along with Gurjapneet Singh and Vansh Vedi, were ruled out of the tournament amid injury concerns. Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Bravis, and Urvil Patel filled the spots.
Change in mindset
The 2025 season was one of the worst seasons for CSK. For the first time in the history of IPL, CSK did not qualify for the playoffs consecutively for two seasons, which compelled CSK management to think.
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They brought in Dewald Bravis, Ayush Mhatre, and Urvil Patel into the squad and made them play straight away. The young prodigy and the U-19 Indian team captain Ayush Mhatre played some impactful knocks. Bravis, along with Urvil Patel, showed their blistering batting ability. MS Dhoni took charge of the team in place of Ruturaj Gaikwad and made it clear that they are regrouping the players, aiming for the 2026 IPL, clearly indicating their knack for a modern approach.
Daddy’s army to Gen Z brigade
What CSK did at the auction table this year clearly indicates their newfound approach to the game. They scouted players, organised trials, and brought in Prashant Veer from Uttar Pradesh as a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja. They also acquired Karthik Sharma, who has a strike rate of over 160, to bolster the lower order. Additionally, they purchased Sarfaraz Khan, Akeal Hosein, and power hitter Mathew Short during the auction. In the press conference, CSK coach Stephen Fleming discussed the trade of Sanju Samson, stating that it is part of their succession plan, as MS Dhoni will eventually step away from the game at some point.
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Following the 2018 auction, the CSK team earned the nickname "Daddy's Army" due to their average player age being over 30, though they won the trophy that year. In the 2026 auction, the team focused on acquiring younger players, most of whom are in their 20s, and made the yellow camp a Gen Z side, hoping the newcomers would eventually step up for them.
Who are Prashant Veer and Karthik Sharma?
Prashant Veer and Karthik Sharma are two of the most talked-about young talents in Indian cricket after the IPL 2026 mega auction, where both created history as the joint-highest paid uncapped players. Chennai Super Kings showed immense faith in their potential by signing each of them for ₹14.20 crore, underlining their long-term vision of investing in youth.
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Prashant Veer, a left-arm spinning all-rounder from Uttar Pradesh, impressed scouts with his calm temperament, wicket-taking ability in the middle overs, and explosive lower-order batting in domestic T20s. Karthik Sharma, a dynamic wicketkeeper-batter from Rajasthan is known for his fearless strokeplay, quick hands behind the stumps, and maturity beyond his age.
Possible playing XI of CSK
1.Ayush Mhatre 2. Sanju Samson 3. Ruturaj Gaikwad 4. Shivam Dube 5. Dewald Bravis 6. Karthik Sharma/Sarfaraz Khan/ Mathew Short 7. Prashant Veer 8. MS Dhoni 9. Noor Ahmed 10. Khaleel Ahmed 11. Nathan Ellis 12. (Impact player) Matt Henry/ Anshul Kamboj.
