Sam Curran IPL 2026 Retention :England’s all-rounder Sam Curran seems to be in the best phase of his career these days. He has once again returned to the national team after a stellar performance for Oval Invincibles in The Hundred and a contract for the ILT20 and BBL for the upcoming winter. However, despite this excellent form, it is not decided whether Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will retain him before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction.

CSK hints and rumors
Recently a report claimed that Sam Curran may be released. As soon as this news went viral, CSK reacted on social media and wrote, "Don’t Worry, We’ve Updated the Bio"also added that "Nothing is official until it’s seen here" – Which indicates that there is still a possibility of Karan being retained. Curran was priced at only ₹2.4 crore in the auction, so he could be a bargain for CSK from a budget perspective as well.

Sam Curran’s form and role
In IPL 2025, Sam Curran played an inning of 88 runs in 47 balls against Punjab Kings, which was the best inning of his IPL career. Since then his form has been excellent. He has proved himself superior in both batting and bowling, and has once again emerged as a useful all-rounder. He has not disappointed Chennai with his form, and that is why his retention still remains a strong possibility.

CSK faces challenges to retention
Sam Curran’s status is unclear, but the real headache for CSK is regarding some other players. The team remained at the bottom of the points table in IPL 2025, due to which the franchise can think about building a fresh team. Ravichandran Ashwin has already retired, while players like Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi and Vijay Shankar can be released. Also, the biggest question is once again about captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni – will he play another season or not?

Focus on young players and future strategy
CSK has included some young talents like Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel in the team, who are considered good options for the future. In such a situation, the team management will have to consider which experienced players should be retained and which should be released to make room for new players.

Probable dates of auction and retention
The probable date of IPL 2026 auction is said to be between 13th to 15th December, while the last date of retention could be 15th November. By these dates, CSK will have to take all its decisions, in which whether to retain Sam Curran or not will be an important decision.

Considering Sam Curran’s current form and past achievements, retaining him can be a profitable deal for CSK. However, keeping in mind the overall poor performance of the team and future strategy, the franchise may also consider forming a new team. Now it will be interesting to see whether Sam Curran remains with Chennai Super Kings or moves towards the auction.