IPL 2026: R Ashwin leaves out CSK from his top four, fourth pick comes as surprise

Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has named his four favourites for the upcoming IPL season, notably leaving out his former franchise Chennai Super Kings. His selections come shortly after the IPL mini-auction held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Ashwin placed five-time champions Mumbai Indians at the top of his list. The Hardik Pandya-led side held on to their core during last month’s retention window and added further depth through trades, bringing in Sherfane Rutherford from Gujarat Titans, Mayank Markande from Kolkata Knight Riders, and Shardul Thakur from Lucknow Super Giants.



Mumbai Indians were also active at the auction, picking up Quinton de Kock for Rs 1 crore, along with Danish Malewar, Mohammed Izhar, Atharva Ankolekar, and Mayank Rawat, each for Rs 30 lakh.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru were Ashwin’s second choice. RCB retained their key players before the auction and then added eight new names to their squad. Among their notable buys were Venkatesh Iyer for Rs 4 crore and Jacob Duffy for Rs 2 crore. RCB had claimed their maiden IPL title earlier this year.

Ashwin rounded off his top four by backing Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals as contenders for the remaining playoff spots. Except for Rajasthan Royals, all the teams he mentioned had reached the playoffs last season. Ashwin shared his picks during an interaction on Mumbai Indians’ official Instagram handle.

Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, secured Ravi Bishnoi for Rs 7.20 crore at the auction. Prior to the auction, they had already strengthened their squad through trades, bringing in Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, and Donovan Ferreira.

Ashwin reserved special praise for Mumbai Indians’ acquisition of Quinton de Kock, suggesting the franchise moved decisively while others hesitated. He felt MI were attempting to recreate the balance of their IPL 2020 title-winning side, even without Ishan Kishan.

“I think the Quinton de Kock buy was a good move. I think the other franchises were sleeping on their haunches, and MI snooped it up. I think MI are not sure about the Rickelton opening combination. I think MI are trying to replicate their IPL 2020 championship squad, only Ishan Kishan is not there,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Despite having a relatively small purse of Rs 2.75 crore, Ashwin felt Mumbai Indians made the most of their resources and significantly strengthened an already strong unit.

“MI had 2.75 crore, but it was as if they had 27 crore, because they bought so many players. MI already had a winning squad before they went into the IPL auction, and now, after the auction, they look even stronger,” he added.