Chennai Super Kings and IPL playoffs are nearly synonymous with each other. Following last year’s debacle, CSK have gone through a transformation from their traditional ‘Dad’s Army’ to a younger, aggressive, and fearless bunch at the auction. A new-look line-up has ushered in fresh hope of a strong bounce back this season.
Strengths
With Dewald Brevis, all-rounder Shivam Dube and young Ayush Mhatre in their ranks, it’s certainly a huge plus for the Super Kings. South African Brevis appears to be having a game more solid than in his days as a newcomer in the IPL. As for Mhatre, he’s too learning fast and developing his game at a brisk pace, having grown in confidence with the U-19 World Cup triumph earlier this year. Sarfaraz Khan, too, would be eager to prove his mettle.
To talk of Dube, he’s growing in stature and comes across as a more accomplished batter. Besides his abilities as a finisher, Dube has proven his capacity as a builder of an innings if his team hasn’t had the best of starts — as he showed during India’s T20 World Cup triumph and the home T20Is against New Zealand. He may still be yet to hit the desired mark on the bowling front, but his exploits with the bat matter much more at present. If needed, he could be used as a floater in the batting order.
The left-arm spin duo of Akeal Hosein and chinaman bowler Noor Ahmad, who was one of the few bright spots for CSK last year, and the presence of experienced New Zealand pacer Matt Henry alongside left-arm quick Khaleel Ahmed should give the team some extra confidence even if they are defending a modest target.
Prashant Veer, the 20-yearold left-arm spinner all-rounder, set for his IPL debut after impressing in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy for Uttar Pradesh last year, is also being seen as a long-term successor to Ravindra Jadeja in the franchise.
Weaknesses
The absence of a specialist off-spinner aside, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad’s lack of enough T20 game time is one area the Super Kings need to look into before their campaign begins. Having played only five matches last season as an elbow injury ruled him out, Gaikwad had just one game in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy before being called up for the ODIs against South Africa. But then too his numbers weren’t too good.
Besides, the franchise also needs to be clear about Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s role in the side. Particularly, in terms of his batting. As a wicketkeeper, Dhoni hasn’t done a bad job since his retirement from international cricket, but with the bat he has had little to show having come out in positions as low as Nos.8 and 9 over the last couple of editions.
If Dhoni fails to deliver again lower down the order, his position could come under threat. There have been calls to make him bat in the top-6 but whether such a bold decision is taken needs to be seen. Whether he will come in as an Impact Player when the team bats is also another option being considered.
It’s all about “brand Dhoni” whose presence on the field itself is all that matters for the franchise.
X-factor
Sanju Samson’s comeback to form in India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign was something straight out of a movie. If not for his hat-trick of 50-plus scores, after being sidelined for not being able to perform, India may not have defended their crown.
Those three innings against the West Indies, England and New Zealand were a reflection of Samson’s self-belief and self-assurance, and of course, the improvement he had made in his game with a minor tweak or two. Given his current form, Samson can single-handedly turn a game in favour of the Super Kings if the pitch happens to be a belter. Even if it isn’t, Samson 2.0 has the range of strokes to put pressure on both pacers and spinners to ensure his team is on the ascendancy.
Not power, but timing and placement are central to his batting, which makes him a big threat to the opposition. Also, the experience of leading Rajasthan Royals and Kerala can make him an integral part of CSK’s leadership group.
2026 SQUAD
Prominent names: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ayush Mhatre, Matt Henry, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Jamie Overton, Matthew Short, Khaleel Ahmed, Zak Foulkes, Anshul Khamboj, Nathan Ellis, Sarfaraz Khan, Rahul Chahar
Others: Kartik Sharma, Urvil Patel, Aman Khan, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary