India, April 27 -- Chennai Super Kings' loss to Gujarat Titans was not only about a sluggish first innings, a crumbling middle order or a bowling attack that failed to defend 158. It also reopened one of the more puzzling questions of their IPL 2026 campaign: what, precisely, is CSK's plan for Prashant Veer?

The question carries weight because Prashant was no speculative auction flutter. CSK paid Rs.14.20 crore for him, placing him among the headline uncapped acquisitions of the season and signalling that he had been earmarked for a defined squad function. He is a left-handed batting all-rounder who bowls slow left-arm orthodox, the kind of profile that can reconfigure the shape of an XI under the Impact Player rule.

Which is exactly wh...