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With the mini-auction for IPL 2026 approaching and the trade window open, both Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings have a chance to fix their specific problems from the previous season. A close analysis of the performances of the two franchises in IPL 2025 shows that the teams have a shared headache in the death, but there are also some different problems. While RCB leaked too much in the powerplay and could use an Indian middle-order enforcer, CSK are craving for a batter who would score quick runs in the middle, and someone to increase the scoring rate in the powerplay and middle overs.
What the two teams actually need:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru need
Powerplay specialist: a new-ball operator, preferably a left-arm pacer, to cut boundaries early and raise wicket-frequency
A banker at the death: repeatable 18 and 20 overs to stop more than 12-run overs coming frequently
Indian in the middle or lower-order: to compress dots near the post powerplay and preserve overseas flexibility
Chennai Super Kings need
Power in the top-order plus bankable keeper option: CSK had a very heavy dot rate in the powerplay last season, and early six-hitting was modest
Finisher: to take off the load from players like Jadeja and MS Dhoni
Second death specialist: a partner for Pathirana
Trade 1: Khaleel Ahmed – Jitesh Sharma
WKhaleel gives RCB the left-arm powerplay specialist. Jitesh Sharma can be the top order enforcer CSK were left wanting in the last season. Besides, Sharma can also be the wicketkeeping option CSK develop for the post-Dhoni phase.
Trade 2: Nathan Ellis – Romario Shepherd
The Australian pacer will get a death-over specialist, who has the yorkers and different variations. Nathan Ellis could limit the runs RCB leaked last season.
Romario Shepherd could become the finisher who reduces the load on Jadeja and Dhoni. Besides, Shepherd is the sort of player CSK have preferred over the years, like Bravo, who can score quickly in the death overs and also bowl crucial overs with the ball.
Trade 3: Nipon Thinghara – Shivam Dube
Nuwan Thushara would give CSK the partner of Matheesha Pathirana in the death overs. The two Sri Lankans can combine and make CSK an irresistible force in the death overs in bowling.
Shivam Dube could be the middle-order enforcer for RCB, who allows them overseas flexibility. Dube’s spin-hitting could prove to be crucial for the RCB to establish firm control on a game in the middle-overs while batting.
These are trades between two teams that can sort out the problems of both. However, there is little chance that all these trades will go through. This refers to an ideal case scenario that can push the two teams for a championship run in IPL 2026.
