3 Finishers CSK Can Target To Trade In As MS Dhoni’s Successor Before IPL 2026 Auction

It is still not clear if Dhoni will play in IPL 2026 or if it will be his last season.

In the Indian Premier League (IPL), teams can trade players before the auction. This means one team can give a player to another in return for a different player, money, or both. These trades can only happen during a set time and must be approved by the player and the IPL Governing Council. The trade window will stay open until one month before the IPL 2026 mini auction.

All matches (33) Afghanistan National T20, 2025 Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka, 2025 ECS Bulgaria T10, 2025 India Under 19 tour of England, 2025 India Women tour of England, T20, 2025 India tour of England, Test, 2025 Ireland Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, 2025 KCC T20 Challengers B League Edition 3, 2025 Major League Cricket, 2025 Sikkim T20 League, 2025 St.Lucia T10 Blast, 2025 Tamil Nadu Premier League, 2025 Result – t20 – Afghanistan Afghanistan National T20, 2025 MDS 166/7 MPS 171/5 Fixtures Standings Live – t20 – Afghanistan Afghanistan National T20, 2025 HS 21/1 PAL – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – Afghanistan Afghanistan National T20, 2025 MDS – PAL – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – Afghanistan Afghanistan National T20, 2025 HS – MPS – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – oneday – Colombo Bangladesh tour of Sri Lanka, 2025 SL – BAN – Fixtures Result – t10 – Sofia ECS Bulgaria T10, 2025 SOST 148/5 BSAS 100/8 Fixtures Standings Result – t10 – Sofia ECS Bulgaria T10, 2025 MAR 119/6 BSAS 118/5 Fixtures Standings Live – t10 – Sofia ECS Bulgaria T10, 2025 MAR – SOST 13/0 Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t10 – Sofia ECS Bulgaria T10, 2025 BSAS – BMP – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t10 – Sofia ECS Bulgaria T10, 2025 BMP – SOST – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t10 – Sofia ECS Bulgaria T10, 2025 BSP – CCYMT – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t10 – Sofia ECS Bulgaria T10, 2025 MAR – SOST – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t10 – Sofia ECS Bulgaria T10, 2025 CCYMT – SOST – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t10 – Sofia ECS Bulgaria T10, 2025 CCYMT – MAR – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t10 – Sofia ECS Bulgaria T10, 2025 SOST – BSP – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – oneday – United Kingdom India Under 19 tour of England, 2025 ENGU19 – INDU19 – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – United Kingdom India Women tour of England, T20, 2025 ENG-W – IND-W – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – test – United Kingdom India tour of England, Test, 2025 ENG – IND – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – Magheramason Ireland Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, 2025 NWW – MUR – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – Magheramason Ireland Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, 2025 NK – LLG – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – Magheramason Ireland Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, 2025 MUR – NK – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – Magheramason Ireland Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, 2025 NWW – LLG – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – Kuwait City KCC T20 Challengers B League Edition 3, 2025 GUC – PCR – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – Kuwait City KCC T20 Challengers B League Edition 3, 2025 TBC – TBC – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – Lauderhill Major League Cricket, 2025 SFU – SOR – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – Lauderhill Major League Cricket, 2025 TSKS – WAF – Fixtures Standings Result – t20 – India Sikkim T20 League, 2025 CAO 75/3 IRSCC 73/10 Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t10 – Gros Islet St.Lucia T10 Blast, 2025 CBG – AMW – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t10 – Gros Islet St.Lucia T10 Blast, 2025 IYH – BMB – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t10 – Gros Islet St.Lucia T10 Blast, 2025 PTS – CBG – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t10 – Gros Islet St.Lucia T10 Blast, 2025 WTS – AMW – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – Dindigul Tamil Nadu Premier League, 2025 CSG – IDTT – Fixtures Standings Upcoming – t20 – Dindigul Tamil Nadu Premier League, 2025 DID – TGC – Fixtures Standings

Chennai Super Kings might look to make a trade. Since it is not clear if MS Dhoni will play in IPL 2026 or will that be his last season, the team could start searching for someone who can take his place, mainly as a finisher in the last few overs.

Rahul Tewatia

One of the options CSK can look at is Rahul Tewatia, who is a proven finisher in the IPL. In the last two or three seasons, his main role has been to come in, play quick cameos, and finish games for Gujarat Titans. He can also bat a bit higher in the order, although for GT he usually bats lower. CSK could benefit by having Rahul Tewatia in their team. His role at GT is also similar to Dhoni’s — coming in down the order and finishing games.

In return, GT could get a player like Sam Curran or Jamie Overton, as they need a fast-bowling all-rounder who can bat in the middle or lower order. Someone like Sam Curran would be useful for them since their middle order still lacks experience. If it is not a player-for-player trade, Tewatia could also be traded for cash.

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Ashutosh Sharma

Another option could be Ashutosh Sharma, who has shown his talent in the last two IPL seasons — in 2024 for Punjab Kings and in 2025 for Delhi Capitals. He is proving to be a reliable finisher in the tournament. He has shown that he can change the game from tough situations, and this is the kind of player CSK might need as Dhoni’s replacement.

Ashutosh is still young at 26, and if CSK takes him, he can be a good long-term player for them. The trade can happen with cash or by swapping a player. If it is a player swap, CSK can offer someone like Rachin Ravindra. Since Faf du Plessis is 40 and Jake Fraser-McGurk has not been consistent, Rachin could be a good option at the top.

Marcus Stoinis

Marcus Stoinis could be a good option for CSK to try and trade from Punjab Kings. He did not do well in IPL 2025, scoring only 160 runs in 13 matches. For Punjab Kings, he batted lower in the order and did not get to face many balls. He plays for Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket, so there is a franchise connection, and CSK might target him for a trade with Punjab Kings.

This might be the right moment for CSK to bring in Marcus Stoinis, either by spending money or through a player exchange. Since he has retired from ODI cricket, Stoinis is now focused only on T20 matches. He still has a few good years left and can be a solid finisher for CSK. If it turns into a player swap, Punjab Kings could look to get someone like Jamie Overton in return.

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