Last night, on a night when nothing went right for CSK against KKR at Chepauk, there was, however,  one development that offered some hope. CSK played the 24-year-old youngster Anshul Kambhoj. The Haryana pacer, who became only the third player in Ranji history to claim all the 10 wickets in an innings (he did it against Kerala in November 2024), was among the prized buys of CSK this season at Rs 3.4 crore.

But he was allowed to warm the bench, despite him being in good rhythm in the domestic matches. It was only the desperately low situation that CSK finds itself in that it gave Kamboj a game. The youngster looked nippy and also had Quinton de Kock bowled. But with such a low total on board, this effort was never going to cut it.

Anyway, now that the CSK season is all but gone, it is  an opportunity to test its bench strength and give the youngsters some break so that the core for coming seasons can be identified.

Yesterday, with Rituraj Gaikwad out, one thought Shaik Rasheed, the explosive 20-year-old batter from Andhra would be picked. But CSK predictably went for Rahul Tripathi despite his failures. Rasheed is a technically sound batter who can anchor the innings, a skill CSK has been missing in their top order. This former Indian U-19 star (2022 U-19 WWC) is an explosive bat who can also bowl some decent leg-spin. Exactly the kind that CSK is missing this season. 

Then there is Vansh Bedi, the 22-year-old wicket-keeper batsman. Okay, CSK, with Dhoni is unlikely to get him to don the gloves. But he has a case to be included merely as a batsman. His strike rate in domestic T20s matches is around 135, which is decent. In the Delhi Premier League, it’s over 180 last season. The ones played by CSK have not been scoring anywhere near that this season. Bedi is said to be attacking, particularly against spinners, and that can make him a valuable asset in Chepauk's spin-friendly tracks. 

The local boy Andre Siddharth is just 19, but he is seen as a special talent in Tamil Nadu cricketing circles. The six-foot three-inch tall bespectacled batsman has a reputation of dominating bowlers at age-group levels, and he should be the one that CSK should go to bolster its ineffective middle-order. This nephew of TN legend Sridharan Sharath, impressed everyone by scoring four half-centuries in his first six Ranji Trophy innings in the 2024/25 season.

The pace bowling allrounder Ramakrishna Ghosh is another one that CSK can have a shot at. This Maharashtra all-rounder had more than a decent Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament, the one that made the Chennai franchise team to opt for him in the first place.

CSK can also try IPL veteran (relatively speaking) Kamlesh Nagarkoti or the rank newcomer like TN left-arm paceman  Gurjapneet Singh. The latter's ability to swing the ball both ways makes him a potent weapon in the powerplay. His left-arm angle adds variety to CSK's predominantly right-arm pace attack. There is also the sleg-spinning option of Shreyas Gopal as Ashwin and Jadeja seem to have lost their potent edge.  Gopal's experience and ability to bowl in pressure situations can help CSK.

In general, the inclusion of young and hungry players can bring a new dynamism to the team  - the exact thing that the team is missing this season. Giving these players exposure can help CSK build a strong core for the future.

Anyway, CSK has little to lose by experimenting with its bench strength.