Chennai Super Kings spent a collective sum of INR 28.40 crore to procure two uncapped players in the 2026 IPL mini-auction – here’s why.
The five-time champions have spent the better part of two seasons being accused of clinging too tightly to the past. After finishing fifth in IPL 2024, and last in 2025 with just four wins from 14 matches, it became apparent that this side was banking on nostalgia rather than reality, reluctant to imagine life beyond MS Dhoni. As the criticism from their loyal fans grew louder, CSK swapped in Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, the first hint of what was to come: Dhoni would not be around forever (unimaginable!), and they had to start planning for the future.
The IPL 2026 mini auction confirmed their thinking even more emphatically.
CSK spent nearly 70 per cent of their auction purse on two uncapped Indian players, Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma, each costing INR 14.2 crore. No uncapped Indian had ever crossed the INR 10 crore mark in IPL history. It was also the most CSK have spent to buy Indian players in the auction, and only once have they spent more on any other player - when they bought Ben Stokes for INR 16.25 crore in 2023.
So, what do the two bring to the table?
Prashant Veer
At 20, the left-arm spin-bowling all-rounder has played nine T20s, scoring 112 runs with a strike rate of 167.16 and taking 12 wickets at an economy rate of 6.45. With Ravindra Jadeja traded out as part of the Samson deal, the franchise was on the lookout for a player who could fill in his shoes in the future, and they decided to gamble on Veer.
Head coach Stephen Fleming explained their thinking: “Given that we needed that kind of skillset with trading Jadeja for Sanju, we identified him as a good talent going forward and filling that spot for us, doing that skillset.”
Veer made his under-19 debut for Uttar Pradesh in 2022, but played just one game before October 2023. He played under-23 cricket that season for the state team, picking up 10 wickets in the One-Day competition. He forced his way back into the senior state team after an impressive showing in the UP T20 League, scoring 320 runs in 10 matches and striking at 155.34 while also picking up eight wickets. He was then picked for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he was used largely in the middle-to-lower order. His strike rate rose to 169.69, alongside nine wickets at 18.77.
Kartik Sharma
A wicketkeeper from Rajasthan, Kartik, has been prolific across formats over the last year. He topped his state’s run charts in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season with 445 runs at an average of 55.62, striking at 118. He also hit 26 sixes, the most in the competition. In the SMAT, batting at No.4, his strike rate climbed to 160.24. Overall, in 12 T20s, he has a strike rate of 162.92, with 28 maximums. Even on his Ranji debut in 2024, he announced himself with a hundred from No.6. His six-hitting is not limited to the shorter formats: In eight red-ball games, he has struck 24 sixes, hitting an average of three a match.
While CSK are not short of wicketkeeping options - Dhoni remains, Samson has arrived, and Urvil Patel impressed in flashes last season - Kartik’s signing highlights how they are more determined than ever to identify and groom talent.
In the disastrous 2025 season, the only bright sparks from the camp came from the youngsters: Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Anshul Kamboj and Noor Ahmad all stood out for their fearlessness and consistency. It might have prompted the franchise to see the value in investing in the next crop of stars.
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