While there are still many days left for the start of the Indian Premier League 2026, former Indian spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin has surprised everyone by announcing the playing eleven of Chennai Super Kings. The former legend has also included left-arm spin all-rounder Prashanth Veer in his team, who was recently acquired by the franchise for a whopping sum of Rs 14.20 crore in the auction.

However, the surprising thing is that he has not included Kartik Sharma in his team. Kartik was also bought by the franchise for Rs 14.20 crore. Veer and Karthik created a buzz during the IPL 2026 auction. Their popularity was evident from the fact that many teams were interested in signing them. However, CSK ultimately emerged victorious. The franchise acquired both players for ₹14.20 crore each, respectively.

Responding to a question about CSK’s playing XI, Ashwin said they could play Veer at number six. Regarding Karthik, Ashwin believes he could be included as an impact player, depending on the team combination.

Ayush
Sanju
Rutu
Dube
Brevis
Prashant
MS
Akeal/Matt Henry
Khaleel
Ellis
Noor

Impact: Anshul/Karthik Sharma/Shreyas Gopal/Sarfraz based on combination/situation https://t.co/hF04Qj9kZP

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) December 21, 2025

CSK’s playing XI selected by Ashwin

Ayush Mhatre, Sanju Samson, Rituraj Gaikwad (captain), Shivam Dubey, Dewald Brevis, Prashant Veer, MS Dhoni, Akeal Hosein/Matt Henry, Khalil Ahmed, Nathan Ellis and Noor Ahmed.

CSK is considering Veer as a replacement for Jadeja. The young all-rounder has played only nine T20 matches as of this writing, scoring 12 runs in those matches. He has scored at a strike rate of 167.16. Karthik, meanwhile, is a promising wicketkeeper-batsman, scoring at a strike rate of 162.92 in 12 T20 matches. He could prove to be a promising addition to CSK in the upcoming season.

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