In anticipation of the Indian Premier League season, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad hinted at the team’s opening combination, stating that he and wicketkeeper batsman Sanju Samson will start the innings in IPL 2026.

The top order of CSK was a significant vulnerability, and their performance from the previous year was terrible. They had tried many combinations, but they all resulted in catastrophe. The five-time champions then attempted Ayush Mhatre at the top, and he gave a few quick starts. However, the franchise chose to go with an experienced duo after CSK signed Sanju Samson for IPL 2026.

At the IPL 2026 captain’s meeting in Mumbai, Gaikwad was questioned about CSK’s opening pair, and the skipper verified that he will be back at the top of the order, teaming up with Samson, a recent addition to the team.

In a significant transaction prior to the auction, the five-time winners swapped Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to RR and traded Samson in from the Rajasthan Royals to CSK.

It was difficult for CSK to maintain stability at the top last year. The squad alternated between Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, and Rahul Tripathi as openers, while Gaikwad himself spent a significant portion of the season hitting at No. 3. Until the teenagers Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis entered the squad as substitutes and infused some much-needed aggression into CSK’s powerplay, no combination was successful.

Brevis scored 225 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 180, while Mhatre amassed 240 runs in seven innings as a replacement player last season, averaging 34. 28 runs with a remarkable strike rate of 188. 97, which included an outstanding 94 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

On March 30, at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, CSK will kick off their IPL 2026 season against the Rajasthan Royals.

After their inaugural home game against the Punjab Kings in Chennai on April 3, their next match will be against the Delhi Capitals on April 11 at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.