Former India all-rounder Suresh Raina has backed five-time champions Chennai Super Kings to target India batter Sarfaraz Khan at the IPL 2026 auction, which is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi on December 16.
The upcoming auction will see 369 players go under the hammer, with all 10 franchises aiming to strengthen their squads ahead of the next season of the Indian Premier League.
Sharing his views ahead of the auction, Raina praised Sarfaraz Khan’s current form and suggested that he could be a valuable addition to the CSK setup. “The form Sarfaraz is in, even if he plays four or six matches and wins you two games, it will be fully justified. Chennai’s wicket is technically sound, and if he gets set in a system like CSK, where the focus is on winning games, I think CSK will benefit greatly from his form,” Raina told Star Sports.
Raina further compared Sarfaraz’s form with past auction buys, highlighting the importance of current performance. “I think he is in great form. We saw earlier that when Venkatesh Iyer was bought for a big amount, the form wasn’t quite there. Sarfaraz, on the other hand, is batting really well right now. You don’t get that kind of player easily-the range of shots he plays, the confidence he has,” he added.
Sarfaraz Khan has featured in 50 IPL matches so far, scoring 585 runs at an average of 22.5. The batter has been in impressive form recently, and it remains to be seen how many franchises will pursue him and what price he could command when the IPL 2026 auction gets underway.