MS Dhoni’s absence for the first few weeks of IPL 2026 might be a boon for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). After all, there has been severe critcism when it comes to the former captain’s contributions with the bat, his position in the batting order and how he has been more of a liability for the team than an asset in the past few seasons.
The silver lining in Dhoni’s calf strain, as a result of which he will miss at least 6 games, will be that CSK will be able to test the strengths of their latest uncapped recruits – Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma.
CSK’s batting is all but sorted, bolstered by the entry of Sanju Samson. It is the least of their worries. However, what the team should be worried about is their bowling line-up, especially the pace department. With no Matheesha Pathirana this year and Nathan Ellis being ruled out, CSK are left with very little experienced options. Regardless, the team will have to figure out the right combination for their IPL 2026 opener against RR on March 30, and we will try to decipher what their playing XI could potentially look like for the clash in Guwahati.
Predicted CSK playing XI vs RR
| Position | Player | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Sanju Samson (WK) | Wicketkeeper-batter |
| 2. | Ruturaj Gaikwad (C) | Opener |
| 3. | Ayush Mhatre/Urvil Patel | Batter |
| 4. | Matt Short ✈️ | Batter |
| 5. | Shivam Dube | Batter |
| 6. | Kartik Sharma | Batter |
| 7. | Prashant Veer | All-rounder |
| 8. | Jamie Overton ✈️ | All-rounder |
| 9. | Matt Henry ✈️ | Fast-bowler |
| 10. | Noor Ahmad ✈️ | Spinner |
| 11. | Khaleel Ahmed | Fast-bowler |
| 12. | Gurjapneet Singh/Anshul Kamboj | Fast-bowler |
New opening pair for CSK
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad confirmed that he will open the innings along with Sanju Samson in IPL 2026. This is the best decision made by the player and the team management thus far. There isn’t much to say about Samson opening – for he just won the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup 2026 and has amassed majority of the runs while batting at the top of the order in the IPL. Out of 71 matches that he has played in the IPL so far, Ruturaj Gaikwad has opened the innings on 60 of them. He has a superior record while batting at the top of the order, having amassed 2289 runs.
Urvil Patel at number 3
Urvil Patel is best suited to play at number 3 for CSK in IPL 2026. In the previous season, he played just 3 matches – all three at the same number 3 position – where he managed to score just 68 runs but delivered a strong message of his capability to bat in the top-order. Besides, his T20 numbers suggest that he is best suited to open the innings for CSK but he won’t be able to do so.
Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma
Prashant Veer is expected to be picked over Kartik Sharma initially in CSK’s playing XI. Veer is an all-rounder, touted to be the like-for-like replacement for Ravindra Jadeja in the line-up. However, an injury to Dewald Brevis means CSK should slot in both Matt Short and Kartik Sharma. Kartik is a wicketkeeper-batter and is known as a serial six-hitter.
Inexperienced pace unit
CSK will be pinning all their hopes on Noor to replicate his feat from IPL 2025 and emerge as the standout spinner for the side in the current season. Although the Afghanistan spinner did not have a good T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, he has proven to be a lethal weapon for the team in the sub-continent.
However, it is the pace unit which could be concerining for CSK. Without the services of Nathan Ellis, the five-time champions will be dependent on Matt Henry. Spencer Johnson may not be available for the first match. Shivam Dube did not have a good run with the ball in the T20 WC 2026 but is expected to serve as their back-up fast-bowler while Khaleel will be the go to pacer in the powerplay.
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