Chennai Super Kings announce Sam Curran’s retention ahead of IPL 2026 auction

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have slammed rumors suggesting that some of their key players could be released ahead of the IPL 2026 mini auction. There have been speculations that Sam Curran, Rahul Tripathi, Devon Conway, Vijay Shankar, and Deepak Hooda would be released ahead of the auction.

The five-time IPL champions endured their worst season in history, finishing at the bottom of the points table with only four wins and ten losses earlier this year. Chennai Super Kings made multiple unwanted records, including home defeats to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC) after decades, and a first-ever loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Chepauk.

Chennai Super Kings reacts to reports of releasing 5 players ahead of IPL 2026 mini auction

Injuries and leadership changes added to their nightmare in the IPL 2025. CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad played only five matches before being sidelined with an injury. He managed only 122 runs. And then MS Dhoni took over midway but could not turn the team’s fortunes, as they failed to make it to the playoffs for two consecutive seasons for the first time in CSK history.

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Meanwhile, a Cricbuzz report suggested the franchise might release Sam Curran, Rahul Tripathi, Devon Conway, Vijay Shankar, and Deepak Hooda to boost their auction budget for IPL 2026, especially after Ravichandran Ashwin’s retirement freed up nearly INR 9.75 crore.

CSK's "Nothing's official" post goes viral

Social media quickly amplified the rumors, and the Chennai Super Kings acted swiftly to clear the air. CSK took to their official X (formerly Twitter) account to confirm that nothing is official until announced by them. The franchise's new bio reads, “Nothing's official till you see it here.”

This move from the five-time champions was a direct response to swirling reports suggesting that the team might release several key players ahead of the IPL 2026 auction. However, before updating their bio, CSK made a post, which read, “Don't worry, we've updated the bio.”

Don't worry, we've updated the bio 😉

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) October 10, 2025

CSK confirms retention of Sam Curran with social media post!!

Not just that, CSK also posted a GIF featuring Sam Curran on X. They captioned the post: Search Sam. 👇 Tag him with the right answer. Let’s see if he replies 👀💛.”

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This post, amidst rumors by the franchise, is seen as the confirmation that the English all-rounder is definitely being retained ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction.

Since Cricbuzz mentioned other players’ names, but Chennai Super Kings made the post only for Curran, sending the fans into a frenzy over whether they decided to retain the all-rounder.

Cricbuzz took Names of Other CSK Players Too but LEO only Posted it For Sam Curran 💛

110% Sam Curran is RETAINED 💛 https://t.co/nEIQZXQwo8

— Junaid Khan (@JunaidKhanation) October 10, 2025

Notably, the IPL 2026 mini-auction is expected to take place in India from December 13 to 15, according to reports. Ahead of the auction, all ten franchises have one month’s time to plan their squads and strategies, as they must submit their final list of retained players by November 15.

Pat Cummins and Travis Head reject massive AUD 10 Million offer made by IPL group

Meanwhile, Australian captain Pat Cummins and star batter Travis Head have stunned the cricket world by turning down a huge AUD 10 million (Rs 58.46 crore) offer to leave international cricket and play full-time in overseas T20 leagues.

Cummins and Head were reportedly given the lucrative offer by an IPL team group, but they chose to remain fully committed to their national team, prioritizing country over money. Both players already earn well from national contracts, and they are also among the highest-paid players in the IPL.