India, Nov. 29 -- Chennai Super Kings don't just walk into the IPL cycles; they drag a decade of legacy behind them. This time, though, they also drag a wooden spoon. After finishing 10th in 2025 for the first time in franchise history and trading away Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, CSK arrive at the 2026 mini-auction with a war chest of INR 43.40 cr and uncomfortable questions about what they actually are now.

The core is still Dhoni-Ruturaj-Fleming, Sanju Samson has been added as a premium India batter-keeper, and the bowling has been stripped back to flexible pieces. The real issue is simple: how much of their best XI is already locked in, and how much has to be rebuilt on December 16?

CSK have retained 16 players, including four ov...