Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have officially dismissed reports suggesting that they are set to release some of their star players including Sam Curran, Rahul Tripathi, Devon Conway, Vijay Shankar, and Deepak Hooda before the IPL 2026 auction. The five-time IPL champions addressed the matter through an official statement on their X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, October 10, after a supposed player release list began doing the rounds on social media.
CSK Respond to Rumors of Player Exits
The controversy erupted following CSK’s disappointing IPL 2025 campaign, where the franchise finished at the bottom of the points table for the first time in history. The team managed only four wins and suffered ten losses, ending the season with a Net Run Rate of −0.647. This also marked the first instance of CSK missing the playoffs for two consecutive years.
Adding to their woes, the Chennai-based franchise endured several unwanted records during the season. They lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home for the first time in 17 years and faced a home defeat to Delhi Capitals after 15 years. The Sunrisers Hyderabad also registered their maiden win against CSK at Chepauk.
The turbulent season unfolded under the shadow of MS Dhoni’s leadership. Ruturaj Gaikwad, who started the season as captain, played only five matches before being ruled out due to injury, scoring 122 runs at an average of 24.40 and a strike rate of 150.61. Dhoni took charge midway through the tournament but couldn’t reverse the team’s fortunes.
Speculation Over CSK’s Auction Strategy
Amid CSK’s struggles, a report by Cricbuzz claimed that the franchise was considering releasing some key names ; including Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, Sam Curran, and Devon Conway to increase their auction purse ahead of the IPL 2026 mega auction scheduled for December. The report also mentioned that the retirement of veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin had freed up an additional INR 9.75 crore for the team.
“Nothing’s Official Till You See It Here”
However, CSK quickly moved to quash the rumors. Taking to their official X account, the franchise posted, “Don’t worry, we’ve updated the bio.” Their updated profile bio now clarifies their stance, reading: “Nothing’s official till you see it here.”
This statement served as a direct response to the circulating reports, reaffirming that any official player retention or release news will be communicated solely through CSK’s verified channels.
The IPL 2026 auction is reportedly set to take place between December 13 and 15, with strong indications that the event will return to India after several years of being hosted abroad.
