After a disappointing season in 2025, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) hopes to reinforce itself for the 2026 edition

The IPL Retention Deadline 2025 is knocking on the door, because of which all teams have sprung into action. After all, this is the first step that will create the difference between victory and defeat next season. As usual, the majority of the limelight will be on CSK, given that they have been one of the most dominant IPL franchises since the tournament began in 2008.

At this juncture, it is impossible to determine what the list of retained and released players will look like from CSK’s stable, given that all teams are doing their best to keep their strategies a secret. Therefore, we turned to ChatGPT and asked the AI to predict Chennai’s possible list of retentions and players who could be released.

Here are the predictions made by AI.

Previous year’s analysis

ChatGPT started with the previous year’s analysis, taking into account CSK’s standing in the IPL 2025. Last year, the team won only four out of 14 games, finishing 10th in the standings. Among several reasons, the AI highlighted the team’s lack of power in the middle overs and an imbalance in the bowling department with Noor Ahmad serving as the only effective weapon who scalped 24 wickets.

(Credit- The New Indian Express)

The AI also marked the injury of Ruturaj Gaikwad, that witnessed a change in captaincy, as Dhoni was brought back to wear the captain’s armband, leading to a mix of strategies and decisions.

Possible retentions

It is no surprise that the first player on the list is Mahendra Singh Dhoni. ChatGPT believes that despite Dhoni’s age and the lack of batting power he displayed in his yesteryear, his ability to read the game could still help the team. Not to be forgotten, Dhoni is also a key player who helps generate huge revenue for the team.

(Credit- Mint)

The rest of the retention list includes Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Noor Ahmad, Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Matheesha Pathirana, and Khaleel Ahmed. According to the AI, this list reflects a mix of veteran and young talents while keeping the purse in check.

Likely to be released

(Credit- India TV News)

Moving on to players who are likely to be released, the list includes Devon Conway, Sam Curran, Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, and Rahul Tripathi. The AI believes Conway and Shankar do not justify their price tags, whereas Sam Curran could cause a budget issue for an incoming player. Hooda’s and Tripathi’s performances have not been up to the mark, and therefore, CSK could bring in new players to replace ineffective cogs.

ChatGPT’s summary

ChatGPT concluded by stating, “After a very disappointing 2025 season, CSK appears ready for a moderate rebuild rather than a radical teardown. They’ll likely retain their core Indian stars (Dhoni, Gaikwad, and Jadeja) and also invest in younger talent (Brevis, Rasheed/Mhatre, and Noor Ahmad). On the other hand, they will release several mid- to high-cost players who didn’t deliver or whose value has dropped — both overseas and Indian alike. The November 15 retention deadline looms as a key moment to lock in this strategy and maximise the purse for the December auction.”