IPL: Chennai primed to bounce back, Knights’ plans dealt injury blows

A conspicuous feature of Chennai Super Kings’ IPL history is their tendency to oscillate between extremes — from finishing at the bottom of the table to clinching glory. Last season’s 10th-place finish could well serve as a launching pad for a comeback, with Sanju Samson, Player of the Series in the T20 World Cup, expected to play a central role.

Kolkata Knight Riders, who ended eighth last season after winning their third title in 2024, went big in the mini auction. However, a spate of injuries to their pace bowlers — coupled with the Board of Control for Cricket in India ban on Mustafizur Rahman — has forced them into last-minute replacements. Despite these setbacks, both CSK and KKR remain strong contenders for a top-four finish.

Chennai Super Kings:
The arrival of Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals via a trade is being seen as a major coup. CSK have retained a solid core around the evergreen Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ruturaj Gaikwad, while using the auction to strengthen their squad with impactful additions.

At 45, Dhoni remains a phenomenon, and there may never be another like him in IPL history. It will be interesting to see whether he continues as wicketkeeper or if Samson takes over — the latter already enjoying popularity among the “Whistle Podu” faithful.

Uncapped players Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma were headline buys, fetching ₹14.20 crore each — a joint record for uncapped players at the auction. CSK also added experienced options such as Akeal Hosein and Matt Henry, along with batting depth in Matthew Short and Sarfaraz Khan.

Kolkata Knight Riders:
KKR entered the auction with the biggest purse and opted for an aggressive rebuild. They retained 12 players, including captain Ajinkya Rahane, vice-captain Rinku Singh, and veteran Sunil Narine.

The biggest talking point was their heavy spending on marquee players: Australian all-rounder Cameron Green, who became the most expensive overseas signing (₹25.20 crore), and Matheesha Pathirana (₹18 crore). Green is widely seen as a long-term successor to Andre Russell, though Pathirana’s availability remains uncertain.

Injuries to key pacers, including Harshit Rana, have disrupted their plans, forcing KKR to rope in several rookies as stop-gap replacements. 

Delhi Capitals: One of few teams to have never won the trophy, Delhi Capitals built an intriguing squad that blends experience and raw talent. KL Rahul is a steady top-order anchor and the additions of Ben Duckett and Pathum Nissanka give variety at the top. The middle order features Tristan Stubbs, David Miller and Ashutosh Sharma as finishers.

Their bowling has genuine class across the board though Mitchell Starc’s availability – at least for the initial part of IPL – has now become a matter of concern. Kyle Jamieson, the giant Kiwi, is at hand with his pace and bounce while Auqib Nabi Dar, a pricey uncapped buy from Jammu & Kashmir, will be keenly watched after the state’s success in Ranji Trophy. Skipper Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, meanwhile, make for the most potent spin bowling option.

Auction additions: Auqib Nabi Dar, Ben Duckett, Pathum Nissanka, David Miller, Kyle Jamieson.

Sunrisers Hyderabad: The Orange Army will be looking to regain their flourish of 2024 when they had become one of the most dreaded batting sides but went down tamely in the final. They have retained their top core of Pat Cummins, Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma and added star power at the auction with Liam Livingstone for Rs13 crore, a significant buy that bolsters both middle order batting and bowling variations.

The franchise, however, will be missing out on captain Cummins' services in the initial phase of the league - which has become a sore point among the cricketing fraternity of India. The Big Three of Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood (RCB) are being accused of taking the IPL for granted despite commanding huge price tags. Ishan Kishan has been named as the stand-in captain by the 2016 IPL champions.

Lucknow Super Giants: The form of captain Rishabh Pant, who has lost out on national team berths in white ball set-up, holds key to the fortunes of Lucknow Super Giants. They have retained a balanced core with Pant, Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran offering explosive batting while they made a smart trade-off to get the seasoned Mohammed Shami to strengthen the pace attack.

They have also bought Josh Inglis at the auction for Rs 8.60 crore, who can add firepower at the top. Speedgun Mayank Yadav, who captured the imagination a couple of years back by bowling at 150-kmph but had been laid low by injuries since then, is expected to finally come of age.