Chennai Super Kings (CSK) may have found a solution to their opening woes in the form Sanju Samson but their problems largely remain unsolved. While it is all but confirmed that the Keralam keeper-batter will open the innings for the five-time champions undoubtedly, there billion dollar question remains – who will open with him
Now, CSK have two options. One – continue with what they were doing last season and allow Ayush Mhatre to continue as an opener. Two – promote captain Ruturaj Gaikwad back to the top of the order and allow him to flourish freely with Samson. CSK are set to start their IPL 2026 campaign on March 30 by taking on Rajasthan Royals.
Who should be CSK’s opener – Mhatre or Gaikwad?
Ayush Mhatre has been on the rise since making his debut for Mumbai in late 2024 and for CSK in mid-way of IPL 2025. The youngster brought an attacking brand of cricket to CSK’s top-order, something which the side seriously lacked before his arrival. With 240 runs from 7 matches at an average of 34.28, Mhatre indeed was one of the best things to happen to CSK in a what was a forgettable season for them.
But Mhatre’s run after the IPL 2025 season wasn’t that stellar. Even though he opened the innings for Mumbai and India Under-19, he tasted mixed success, hardly making any impact. Of course, when it comes to T20s, Mhatre has batted as an opener in 12 out of 13 matches that he has played thus far. Only once has he batted at number 3 where he scored 32 runs.
Given Mhatre’s form off late, one can wonder why CSK can afford to push him down to number 3 and instead promote Ruturaj Gaikwad to the top to open with Samson. The CSK captain, who has embraced his role as the number 3 batter for the five-time champions, has played majority of his IPL career as an opener.
60 out of 71 IPL games that Gaikwad has played in, he has batted at either number 1 or 2 position. Over 90% of the total runs that he has scored in IPL so far have come while he has batted as an opener while his returns while batting at number 3 have been pretty meagre. Gaikwad’s ability to maintain composure, accelerate at will and not play a risky brand of cricket makes him the perfect partner for Sanju Samson.
| Position | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate |
| 1st | 47 | 1632 | 37.95 | 134.98 |
| 2nd | 13 | 657 | 73 | 141.9 |
| 3rd | 8 | 208 | 26 | 151.82 |
| 4th | 1 | 5 | 5 | 50 |
| 5th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gaikwad is certainly better off as an opener instead of batting at number 3 for CSK. He his able bat freely while playing at the top of the order and instead faces pressure to save his wicket while batting at number 3. Mhatre, a youngster, can easily adapt to a new batting position. Therefore, it would be best if CSK allow Mhatre to bat at number 3 and allow Samson to open the innings with captain Gaikwad in IPL 2026.
Cricket
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