Not Ravindra Jadeja or Sam Curran; Ex-India Star Shocked to See CSK Release Matheesha Pathirana Ahead of IPL 2026 Auction

IPL 2026: The Retention process took place recently on November 15 where franchises offloaded a few players just to get ready for the auction. While some releases were shocking, most were on the cards. The spotlight was on CSK even before the retention day due to a trade that was creating massive buzz. The trade involved Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. The two stars were traded off to Rajasthan Royals for Sanju Samson. For the unversed, with five titles - CSK is one of the most successful franchises in the history of IPL. Former India cricketer Saba Karim was unhappy with Chennai Super Kings move. Karim was not happy with CSK for releasing Matheesha Pathirana. As per Karim, they should not have let go of the Sri Lankan cricketer after grooming him. 

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‘They have groomed and mentored him’

"I actually was surprised because they have really invested heavily in Pathirana. They have groomed and mentored him, and he has delivered for CSK on a number of occasions. The fact remains that Pathirana plays in various global leagues. So he has got enough experience of bowling in these conditions or against top-quality batters," he said on Star Sports.

"Last season, although he didn't leave on a very high note, he is such a young and exciting talent. You could have always worked more on him and instilled more faith so that he was able to deliver once more. So that was one of the big surprises for me in terms of release for CSK," he added.

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IPL Auction

The much-awaited mini auction will take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi. It would be interesting to see who are the players CSK show interest in.