The collapse of the Washington Sundar trade has left the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) with the same unresolved squad concerns they carried into the pre-retention window. With their spin depth thinning and IPL 2026 barely a month away, CSK had a rare opening to move fast. But while the Gujarat Titans (GT) instantly shut the door on Sundar, the Chennai think-tank surprisingly did not push harder for any of GT’s three left-arm spinners: R. Sai Kishore, Nishant Sindhu, or Manav Suthar, even though GT are overflowing with options in that department.
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R. Sai Kishore
R. Sai Kishore is easily the most proven and the most IPL-ready among GT’s left-arm spin trio. If CSK wanted a near like-for-like tactical profile after failing to land Sundar, someone who adds control in the middle overs, bowls in tough match-ups, and has domestic pedigree, Sai Kishore should have been the first call. Chennai know him better than anyone: he came through the TNPL pipeline, was part of the CSK setup for three seasons, and even won a title with them in 2021.
R Sai Kishore’s recent rise at GT and with India A has demonstrated his effectiveness in bowling to right-handers at a miserly economy rate, while also offering height, dip, and a strong arm-ball variation that MS Dhoni has often appreciated. From CSK’s perspective, Kishore would have strengthened the middle overs and provided a second specialised left-arm spinner behind Ravindra Jadeja or even future insurance beyond Jadeja.
What strengthens the case is GT’s scenario: they already have three left-arm spinners fighting for limited game time. If CSK had pushed with an all-cash offer here, instead of only for Sundar, their chances of success would have been significantly higher. After all, GT know Kishore is valued, but not untouchable, unlike Sundar, who is now central to their 2026 batting plan at No. 4.
Nishant Sindhu
Nishant Sindhu is the most intriguing long-term option CSK could have targeted. At just 20, he represents the “next-gen Indian all-rounder” profile that franchises are aggressively stocking up on in the Impact Player era. Sindhu’s youth, GT left arm spinner, clean bat swing, and leadership pedigree from India U-19 levels make him an ideal developmental signing for a franchise like CSK, which loves grooming young players into long-term contributors.
CSK’s spin roster is ageing, and although Jadeja remains elite, there is no young Indian spinner ready to take the baton in the next 2–3 years. Sindhu fits that timeline perfectly. He adds a floaty bowling style that creates angle and drift, and his batting has improved, something that CSK values in their multi-skill players steadily. Given how Chennai often invests in youngsters (Mukesh Choudhary, Tushar Deshpande, Shivam Dube’s second wind), Nishant Sindhu could have been a forward-looking investment.
For GT, he is still in the developmental stage, so a cash trade would not have disrupted their balance. For CSK, he would have solved both depth and future-proofing needs. With Sundar unavailable, Sindhu offered the kind of skillset that aligned perfectly with what Chennai lacked, and yet they didn’t move.
Manav Suthar is the most underrated name in GT’s spin stack, and arguably the easiest for CSK to acquire. GT left arm spinner who gives the ball flight and isn’t afraid to challenge batters in the air, Suthar has been excellent in domestic cricket but hasn’t yet received a proper IPL run. For CSK, a team heavily dependent on spin options in Chennai, Suthar would have offered exactly what they lacked last season: variety and fresh energy.
Suthar’s biggest strength is his ability to bowl attacking, wicket-taking spells rather than purely defensive ones, something CSK desperately needed whenever Jadeja had an off day. Suthar’s build and trajectory are more similar to traditional, loop-heavy GT left arm spinners, giving Chennai a different flavour compared to Kishore’s skiddy style or Jadeja’s pace-on approach. Given GT’s overload in this department, Suthar was the most practical target: he’s promising, inexpensive, and not yet central to GT’s plans. CSK could have easily pushed for a high-value cash trade here, especially after losing the Sundar race. Instead, they allowed the moment to pass.
Is the Trade Window Still Open — And What Can CSK Still Do?
The IPL trade window is still open, which means CSK aren’t out of opportunities just yet. But with franchises now finalising their retentions and internal roles for IPL 2026, every passing day reduces Chennai’s leverage. GT’s firm stance on Washington Sundar shows they’re unwilling to weaken their all-rounder stocks, but their surplus in the left-arm spin department remains an exploitable corridor if CSK decide to act quickly.
– Sai Kishore
– Nishant Sindhu
– Manav SutharGujarat Titans has 3 left arm spinners, problem of Plenty, CSK should have tried a cash deal when Washington Sundar’s Trade was off – they should have got atleast 1 from these three left arm spinners to be safe zone before auction pic.twitter.com/hSriozyIBu
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) November 28, 2025
If Chennai genuinely want a dependable GT left arm spinner before the Abu Dhabi auction, this is the final stretch. Sai Kishore gives experience, Nishant Sindhu gives long-term security, and Manav Suthar offers tactical flexibility. The window hasn’t shut, but unless CSK moves now, they risk walking into another season with the same unresolved spin-gap that the Sundar deal initially promised to fix.
