3 IPL teams that failed miserably in 2026 player retention
The retention deadline for the IPL 2026 was November 15. While some teams opted to retain most of their star players, others decided to release many of their big names to rebuild.
1. Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) did well to rope in Sanju Samson, but they had to let go of Ravindra Jadeja, who had won them several games over the years. Jadeja's bowling is also suited for the conditions in CSK's homeground, Chepauk. He also played the finisher's role to perfection in recent years, giving support to MS Dhoni.
The five-time champions also released two of their opening batters - Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra. This was a surprising move, as retaining at least one of them could have come in handy. Meanwhile, releasing Matheesha Pathirana also did not make much sense. While the Sri Lankan seamer did not have a great campaign in 2025, he is just 22 years old, and he could have bounced back strongly in IPL 2026.
CSK are known for showing faith in their players, but that was not the case with the right-arm speedster, who is a match-winner in the death overs.
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