Mumbai, March 26 Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad dropped a hint about the team's opening combination for the Indian Premier League edition, revealing that he, along with wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson, will open the innings in IPL 2026.
CSK, who had a disappointing campaign last year, and whose top order was a major weakness, had tried multiple combinations, but all led to failure. The five-time winners then tried Ayush Mhatre at the top, and he provided some quick starts. However, with CSK bringing in Sanju Samson for IPL 2026, the franchise decided to go with an experienced pair.
During the IPL 2026 captain's meeting in Mumbai, Gaikwad was asked about CSK's opening combination, and the captain confirmed that he would return to the top of the order, partnering with the newly added member, Samson.
Samson was traded from Rajasthan Royals to CSK ahead of the auction as a major move, as the five-time champions traded Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to RR.
Last year, CSK had struggled to find stability at the top. Gaikwad himself batted at No. 3 for a large part of the season, while the team rotated between Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, and Rahul Tripathi as openers. No combination worked for CSK until youngsters Ayush Mhatre and Dewald Brevis came as replacements and provided the team with much-needed aggression in the powerplay.
Joining as a replacement player last season, Mhatre amassed 240 runs in seven innings, averaging 34.28 at a strike rate of 188.97, including a standout 94 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), while Brevis scored 225 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 180.
CSK will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on March 30.
Their first home match in Chennai will be on April 3 against Punjab Kings, before their next home game against the Delhi Capitals on April 11 at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium.