Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will likely be among the most active franchises in the upcoming IPL 2026 auction. Following a disappointing 2025 season that saw them finish at the bottom of the table for the first time in league history, CSK released several players from its roster.It leaves them with a massive purse of ₹43.40 crore for the upcoming auction, which is second only to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). While several overseas stars will warrant huge bids from the franchises, the talented Venkatesh Iyer will undoubtedly be the biggest Indian name on the auction table.The 30-year-old was released by KKR a season after being one of the big-ticket buys in the IPL 2025 auction for ₹23.75 crore. Yet, Iyer could offer much to CSK in a variety of ways should the Men in Yellow push to acquire the batting all-rounder.On that note, here are three reasons why CSK must target Venkatesh Iyer in the IPL 2026 auction.#1 Venkatesh Iyer's versatility offers CSK much-needed flexibilityOne of CSK's biggest Achilles heels in IPL 2025 was the lack of versatility among their batters throughout the lineup. In a format where batters' adaptability plays a pivotal role in team success, the Men in Yellow had several batters proficient at only specific phases of the game.However, by acquiring Venkatesh Iyer, CSK will have the luxury of trying out various batting orders for different opponents and conditions. The left-hander is adept at batting at every position from opening to the middle and lower middle-order.In his 62-game IPL career, Iyer has opened the batting 22 times, while also batting at No. 3 on 15 occasions. Furthermore, the southpaw has also batted at No. 4 and 5 seven times each, with another five stints at No. 6 and below.While his numbers vary across the positions, Iyer has scored half-centuries as an opener and at No. 3 and 5, which is evidence of his versatility. With his acquisition, CSK could roll out a batting lineup capable of looking intimidating, irrespective of circumstances.#2 Another bona fide Indian batter offers CSK tremendous value elsewhereCSK made one of the biggest blockbuster trades in the off-season to beef up their Indian core in the batting department. By acquiring Sanju Samson in their trade of ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, the Men in Yellow will boast a high-calibre top three in IPL 206 with Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Ayush Mhatre.Should they acquire Venkatesh Iyer in the auction, with the presence of Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni in the lower middle-order, CSK can utilize their overseas forces in several other areas of concern. The side struggled for excellent pace-bowling options in the powerplay and the death overs last season, and injecting one or two overseas seamers for those roles could be viable with the presence of Venkatesh Iyer.The franchise could also look at a foreign spin-bowling all-rounder in a bid to replace Ravindra Jadeja if the first four to five positions of the batting order are taken care of by Indian batters, which will be the case with the inclusion of Iyer.#3 A left-hander with value-add as a bowler is an irresistible luxury for CSKWhile CSK has built up a solid core batting lineup from the end of last season to this off-season, the sameness in the order is undeniable. In Gaikwad, Samson, Mhatre, Urvil Patel, and Dewald Brevis, CSK have a star-studded top five, but with one glaring issue.All five batters are right-handers, with Shivam Dube possibly at No. 6, their first left-hander in the lineup, minus the presence of Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. In a format increasingly reliant on matchups, the ability to send a left-hander to tackle a leg-spinner or left-arm spinner and attack the shorter side of the ground has become vital.With the acquisition of Venkatesh Iyer, CSK will have a proven left-hander that could act as a circuit breaker among the slew of right-handers. Furthermore, without all-rounders, Jadeja and Curran, Iyer's medium-pace bowling could also add tremendous value, especially on the slow and low Chennai surface.