Chennai Super Kings, five-time IPL champions, have not reached the playoffs in the last two seasons. With the IPL 2027 retention deadline approaching on November 17 and Zaheer Khan now in place as head coach, the franchise faces critical decisions about squad composition and strategic direction.

The former India opener highlighted how the franchise has struggled to establish a consistent identity after shifting away from their traditional approach.

"CSK, to me, are a side still struggling to figure out what their correct identity is. They changed their identity from Dad's Army to youth because they found success in Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel, so they decided to back Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma. But they spent huge amounts to bring them into the squad, and that cost them in the auction and last season as well, because Prashant couldn't perform in the limited number of games," Mukund said as quoted by JioStar.

Why has CSK struggled to establish a consistent squad identity?

Mukund elaborated on the financial implications of CSK's investment strategy. The franchise committed over Rs 28 crores combined to Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma, betting heavily on youth after their success with Ayush Mhatre and Urvil Patel. However, the returns have not justified the outlay, with Prashant Veer unable to make an impact in his limited opportunities and Kartik Sharma failing to deliver the match-winning performances expected at that price point.

"Kartik did well but still couldn't have a major impact in helping them win games. I felt that spending over Rs 28 crores on both of them was a bit of a big gamble. Unfortunately, Prashant Veer, for me, goes back into the auction pool, as CSK will need money to sort out the gaps in their squad, which means Prashant will have to be released," he added.

CSK formalised a trade with Sunrisers Hyderabad on November 5, exchanging Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis to acquire Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards. Livingstone arrived at a reduced fee of INR 6 crore, a significant discount from the INR 13 crore SRH had invested in him previously. Edwards joined at INR 3 crore after being signed by SRH last season but withdrawing due to a foot injury. In return, Khaleel Ahmed moved to SRH at INR 4.8 crore and Nathan Ellis at INR 2 crore.

What does the Livingstone and Edwards trade reveal about CSK's strategy?

Mukund viewed the trade as a strategic pivot for CSK's squad composition. Livingstone managed only 15 runs across two games in IPL 2026 before losing his place in SRH's playing XI, yet Mukund believes the England batter addresses specific gaps in CSK's middle order and provides bowling flexibility.

"From CSK's point of view, the trade move for Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards feels like a definite shift in thinking. They want more power in the middle order, and they want an overseas all-rounder. Liam Livingstone fulfils that gap, as he can go bang-bang with the bat after the younger Indian players. Plus, he provides them the option of off-spin bowling, which will come in handy when they go up against sides that have a lot of left-handed batters in their playing XI," Mukund said.

Mukund highlighted the value of Edwards as a multi-dimensional asset for CSK's campaign. The Australian fast-bowling all-rounder brings both batting aggression and bowling variety to a squad that has struggled to balance experience with youth.

"Jack Edwards, a brilliant young Australian fast-bowling all-rounder, bats with a high strike rate, chips in with useful bowling spells, and he's a mystery for many teams as he's recently burst onto the scene. CSK can use him as their trump card in the next season of the IPL. Also, CSK have a surplus of left-arm seamers, so Khaleel Ahmed moving to SRH need not be a bad thing for CSK, because they've already got Gurjapneet Singh and Mukesh Choudhary, and it looks like they might end up retaining Spencer Johnson," he added.