IPL 2026 is still more than a month away but the off-season continues to generate tremendous buzz. Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru have actively been in the news for two reasons - ownership change and home venue relocation. While those things are still in progress, Chennai Super Kings have also allegedly joined in for one of those categories.
While it is too early to speculate deeply or analyse this development, a key source tells us that CSK might also be contemplating a change in ownership. For those unaware, the Chennai franchise are owned by India Cements who have a massive reputation in cricket, having run the game for many decades.
Latest reports state that former Chief Minister and DMK patriarch Late M Karunanidhi's (MK) family, arguably the most powerful clan in Tamil Nadu, are interested in acquiring CSK. It must be remembered that the DMK are currently the ruling party in Tamil Nadu with the state elections slated to happen in the next few months.
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For years, DMK and CSK have had a mixed relation that once almost toured sour. In April 2019, CSK reportedly contributed Rs 5 crore worth electoral bonds to DMK's rival party AIADMK who were in power during that time. Of course, CSK has also previously donated to political parties on other occasions.
DMK returned to power in the 2021 elections and in recent years, the MK family has been involved in cricket, although SunRisers is their primary asset. Kavya Maran, CEO of SunRisers, is the grand-niece of M Karunanidhi and her father Kalanithi Maran is a well-known film producer in Tamil Nadu.
With MK Stalin and Udhayanidhi Stalin leading DMK's dominance in Tamil Nadu politics currently, the CSK-DMK union could be on the cards. Have the Super Kings franchise contributed to DMK's electoral bonds like they did for AIADMK in 2019? For now, there are no constructive updates on this or the ownership race but massive speculations are floating around.
