The one-minute, 37-second clip features Leo, CSK’s mascot, on a day out at a vegetable market. Through the vegetables on display and the markers placed on a few of them, Chennai appeared to drop hints about potential auction targets, leaving fans to decode the clues. In the end, Leo is shown buying three items and placing them in a plastic bag — a detail that sent social media into a frenzy. Eagle-eyed viewers quickly interpreted the contents of the bag, which included kiwi fruit, apples and a local mixture packet, as the franchise’s biggest hint at their IPL 2026 auction plan.

Many fans linked the kiwi to a New Zealand player, while the apples were taken as a sign pointing toward Jammu & Kashmir — making Auqib Nabi, who shot to fame earlier this year with four wickets in four balls in the Duleep Trophy, the unanimous guess. The mixture packet, they felt, hinted at Venkatesh Iyer — who, despite being from Indore, has family roots in Tamil Nadu.

The clip also led many to believe that Chennai might not pursue Cameron Green, widely expected to be the costliest buy of the mini-auction. But another section insisted the mixture packet was a more general hint at CSK wanting an all-rounder, regardless of origin — meaning the Australian star could still be in their plans. Fans also spotted what they believed was a subtle reference to Matheesha Pathirana, released ahead of the auction, suggesting CSK may attempt to buy him back.

Chennai entered the auction with the second-highest purse of INR 43.40 crore and nine slots to fill. They released Ravindra Jadeja, Andre Siddarth, Deepak Hooda, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Matheesha Pathirana, Sam Curran, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Rahul Tripathi, Shaikh Rasheed, Vansh Bedi and Vijay Shankar ahead of the season.

CSK endured a forgettable IPL 2025 campaign, finishing at the bottom of the table for the first time in their history.