New Delhi, Dec 17 (NationPress) Former Indian cricketer Abhinav Mukund made a noteworthy remark regarding the Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) roster after the franchise established a 25-member lineup post the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. He highlighted an intriguing fact: the five-time champions have one wicketkeeper representative from each decade; teen, 20s, 30s, and 40s.

In their squad, CSK features four wicketkeepers: Kartik Sharma, a 19-year-old in his teens; Urvil Patel, in his 20s; Sanju Samson, in his 30s; and MS Dhoni, in his 40s.

The Men in Yellow performed admirably during the auction held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, making substantial investments in young talent as they strive to construct a forward-thinking team. Noteworthy additions included Prashant Veer from Uttar Pradesh and Kartik Sharma from Rajasthan, both fetching Rs. 14.20 crores each, marking them as the joint-costliest uncapped players in the tournament's history.

Mukund expressed that CSK has undergone a significant ‘tectonic shift’ in their strategy, referring to the current squad as ‘a markedly different team.’ Reflecting on their auction strategies and results, Mukund stated, “I believe CSK has assembled a robust side. Their previous retentions were often based on past successes, but now, everything is being reconsidered. For 2026, it appears they have invested about 30 percent in wicketkeepers.”

“They now boast one keeper from every decade—one in his teens, one in his 20s, one in his 30s, and one in his 40s. This truly signifies a complete reset for CSK. Just think about the numerous meetings they must have held to reach these conclusions, considering this franchise has been built on a singular system, a unified belief, and strong player allegiance.

“Every player who has donned the CSK jersey has praised the environment. Now, there are newcomers who have never experienced that system and are stepping into it for the first time. This represents a substantial shift, a tectonic shift in CSK’s methodology. This does not resemble the CSK squad we are accustomed to, which typically includes overseas openers, an international all-rounder in the middle order, and a towering overseas pacer from Australia or South Africa. This is indeed a very distinct CSK team,” he added.

CSK Squad for IPL 2026: Anshul Kamboj, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Gurjapneet Singh, Jamie Overton, Khaleel Ahmed, MS Dhoni, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Nood Ahmad, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Urvil Patel, Akeal Hosein, Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, Dasun Shanaka, Aman Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar, Zak Foulkes