Published on: Apr 3, 2026 2:52 pm IST|Updated on: Apr 3, 2026 2:53 pm IST
Like the last season, the 5-time champions, Chennai Super Kings, have disappointingly started their Tata IPL 2026 campaign. Succumbing to an 8-wicket loss in their tournament opener against the inaugural champions, Rajasthan Royals, has raised eyebrows at the team’s combination and their approach in particular.
After bundling out for a mere 127 runs in 19.4 overs batting first, the Super Kings’ bowling unit was taken to the cleaners by the Royals’ batters as they chased a demeaning target in just 12.1 overs. A shocking defeat has now put CSK right at the bottom of the points table early on in the tournament, with the worst net run rate among all teams at -4.171.
Ahead of their next clash, slated to take place at their home ground, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, against last year’s finalists, the Punjab Kings, CSK needs to address a few things to secure their first victory in IPL 2026: CSK vs PBKS. Let’s take a look.
First and foremost, the Chennai Super Kings opening duo of wicket-keeper Sanju Samson and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad should take the charge from the word ‘go.’ Modern-day T20s require openers to go berserk from ball one, and CSK team management should take this fact into consideration sooner rather than later.
There’s no shortage of spark at the top order for CSK. Sanju Samson, who made all the right noises when he became the biggest trade in IPL history ahead of the season, played a scintillating hand in helping Team India retain the T20 World Cup a month back. He was the Player of the Tournament in that World Cup and gave India rollicking starts along with Abhishek Sharma. Sanju knows how to dominate a bowler, and so does his CSK skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is back at the top order for the 5-time champions. Gaikwad plays the waiting game early on, but once set, he is no stranger to big hitting. Therefore, if this opening duo lays the foundation for CSK, other batters can find it easy to take the game away from the opposition.
Well, this can be debatable, particularly when the season has just started. Last year, we saw Ruturaj Gaikwad batting at no. 3. Once he got injured, Rachin Ravindra filled his shoes. However, both Ruturaj and Rachin didn’t get going for CSK at no. 3, and ultimately their middle order looked quite fragile.
India’s U19 skipper Ayush Mhatre has been assigned the role of no. 3 for now in CSK’s setup. Although he got a first-ball duck in the last game against RR, the youngster possesses all the talent in the world to be one of the best batters for CSK. However, the question remains whether he gets the long rope, particularly when his recent form for the junior Indian teams has been subpar. With other talented batters like Prashant Veer, Sarfaraz Khan, and Urvil Patel waiting in the wings, it remains interesting to see whom the management would back for a long-term basis at no. 3.
The tournament is still in its early stages as teams are looking to settle in with their overseas combinations. CSK is no exception. They opted for Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, and Matthew Short. Out of the 4, only Matthew Short came in as an injury replacement for Dewald Brevis, who had to miss CSK’s opening game due to a side strain. The other three were always in the plan.
However, playing at the Chepauk, the team may bring one more spinner. Rahul Chahar was always slated to play as an Impact sub in the last game, but due to CSK’s batting failure in the opening fixture, Sarfaraz Khan had to come in. Rahul should get a nod ahead in this game, and they could also opt for someone like Akeal Hosein. The West Indian left-arm spinner is a great asset with both bat and ball. He can bowl in the powerplay and can hit those lusty blows batting down the order. Expect Akeal to get a game at Chepauk against the Punjab Kings. But the big question is, who would he replace in the eleven?
Tags: IPL 2026