Chennai Super Kings have a lot of fixing to do in their line-up before IPL 2026 but the bowling department will be the least of their worries. MS Dhoni and co. found themselves on the wrong side of history in IPL 2025 after finishing at the bottom of the points table for the first time in the history of the league. While they were mainly let down by their middle-order batters, CSK had several positives in the form of their bowlers. From Noor Ahmad to Khaleel Ahmed, the five-time champions had pretty decent bowlers and will not want to tinker their existing unit. The deadline for teams to finalize the retentions is November 15 and the auction will be held a month later on December 16. Ahead of the retention deadline, let’s take a look at 3 bowlers that CSK must retain for IPL 2026.
Bowlers CSK should retain for IPL 2026
1. Noor Ahmad
A no-brainer retention choice for CSK is their leading wicket-taker in IPL 2025 – Noor Ahmad. Bagged for Rs 10 crore, the Afghanistan bowler fully justified his hefty price tag, finishing with 24 wickets from 14 matches. He was MS Dhoni’s go-to bowler in the season and the most reliable one when the team needed wickets.
2. Khaleel Ahmed
Bagged for Rs 4.80 crore at the IPL 2025 mega auction, the pacer was arguably one of the best fast bowlers for CSK in the previous edition of the tournament. He finished with 15 wickets to his name from 14 matches, averaging 29.80. Given that he is a regular for India A as well, Khaleel’s retention is something which CSK shouldn’t think about twice.
3. Nathan Ellis
The Australian pacer, who showed glimpses of his prowess in the recently concluded IND vs AUS series, was surprisingly underutilized by CSK in IPL 2025. Bought for Rs 2 crore, Ellis featured in just one game for CSK in the season. It was baffling to see the pacer kept out of the line-up despite his reputation for bowling well with the new ball.
