The actions of Chennai Super Kings are an indication of a team that is planning to play beyond the retirement of MS Dhoni. CSK have spent an outrageous 32.30 crores on wicketkeeper-batters, which is a sure sign of long-term succession planning as opposed to short-term squad strengthening. As Dhoni is retained in what is understood to be the last stage of the glorious career, the franchise seems to be preparing the stage to an easy passage.
The characters emphasize the change of approach. In the IPL 2026 mini-auction, CSK bid 19-year-old Kartik Sharma 14.20 crore, which was equal to the highest price uncapped Indian at the time. Before that, CSK made a record deal with Rajasthan Royals, whereby the club acquired Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in lieu of Sanju Samson, whose deal was pegged at ₹18 crore. CSK now have four wicketkeeper batters in their squad, together with Urvil Patel, a first in the history of the league, which had depended on Dhoni all the way since the beginning of the league in 2008.
The strategic change was apparent at the auction with the head coach Stephen Fleming publicly admitting it. He has mentioned that the management had been aware of that Dhoni would one day leave and the team had to be ready to that. Fleming hailed Samson as cricketer who had an international talent and could be easily replaced in the leadership and wicketkeeping area. He also acknowledged that CSK had strategically avoided sticking to the philosophies that were influenced by past success.
Interestingly, CSK used almost 60 percent of their 43.40 crore auction kitty on two uncapped players alone, and this marked the clear separation between their old parents’ image of world beaters and the current one of Dad’s Army. The franchise, which used to be characterized in terms of experience and stability, is now obviously adopting the values of youth, investor, and prospect.
Join our whatsapp group for Latest updates
Click Here for Chhattisgarh News
Click Here for Entertainment News