The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad and coached by Stephen Fleming for the IPL 2026 season. After a disappointing last-place finish in IPL 2025, their worst-ever season, CSK has undergone a major overhaul heading into this new season.
The biggest change came from a big trade. CSK sent former captain Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to the Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Sanju Samson. This deal is seen as a significant move to strengthen the team ahead of IPL 2026.
Ravichandran Ashwin also retired from the IPL in August 2025, marking the end of an era for CSK’s spin department. The departures of Jadeja and Ashwin have left a big gap, but the team is rebuilding with fresh talent.
Gaikwad, who missed the second half of IPL 2025 due to injury, returns fully fit as captain. CSK has retained 16 players, including Gaikwad and MS Dhoni, their legendary former captain. The franchise also invested heavily in young talent during the December 2025 auction, picking up uncapped players Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma for ₹14.20 crore each.
The batting lineup includes Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma (WK), Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel (WK), and Matthew Short. The all-rounders are Prashant Veer, Aman Hakim Khan, Akeal Hosein, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Chahar. The bowlers are Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Nathan Ellis, Matt Henry, Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, Zak Foulkes, and Ramakrishna Ghosh. MS Dhoni is also part of the squad as a wicketkeeper.
The coaching staff includes Stephen Fleming (Head Coach), Michael Hussey (Batting Coach), Eric Simons (Bowling Coach), and Rajiv Kumar (Fielding Coach).
Sanju Samson is expected to open with young star Ayush Mhatre, providing an explosive start. Gaikwad will bat at number three to anchor the innings. Kartik Sharma, the 19-year-old wicketkeeper-batter, is likely to bat at four as CSK’s long-term successor to Dhoni’s finishing role.
The spin department is led by Noor Ahmad, who had a great debut last season. Khaleel Ahmed leads the pace attack, while Nathan Ellis is their death-bowling specialist. However, Ellis’ injury could force CSK to rethink their strategy in the final overs.
With MS Dhoni possibly playing his last IPL season, he may be used as an Impact Player or finisher in crucial moments. How CSK uses him will be one of the most interesting questions heading into the tournament.