🏏 IPL 2026 Auction: Teams Stacked Post-Mega Deals

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Key Takeaways

1📊 CSK signs Veer, Sharma at 14.2cr each; 25-man squad
2🏆 Possible XI: Gaikwad(c), Dhoni(wk), Dube firepower
3💡 Shift to uncapped youth over veterans
4🔮 Chepauk spin duel key for CSK playoffs
5💬 Hot take: Inexperience in middle order

"Here's what the squads look like, with their strengths and weaknesses"

IPL 2026 mini-auction reshaped 10 franchises, with CSK splashing INR 43cr purse on uncapped gems Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma (14.2cr each), ditching experience for youth. Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, MS Dhoni anchor; adds Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry. Bold moves signal paradigm shift amid Chepauk spin battles.

CSK's squad: 25 players, 8 overseas. Strengths: Ruturaj's consistency (IPL avg 38), Dube's power. Weaknesses: middle-order greenhorns, spin inexperience. MI, RCB bolstered too; auction purse dynamics favored gambles.

CSK Revolution: Uncapped Bets Pay Off?

Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma cost two-thirds purse—vs Dhoni era's veterans. Possible XI: Samson, Gaikwad(c), Dube, Brevis, Dhoni(wk). Stats: Veer's domestic 50+ avg; compares Yashasvi Jaiswal's breakout. CSK's 5 IPL titles lean on adaptability.

Franchise Fortunes: Strengths vs Weaknesses

CSK: Spin options Hosein, Noor Ahmad suit home; batting depth Short, Sarfaraz. Risks: overseas balance. KKR, PBKS power-packed; table predictors favor MI post-auction.