CSK’s predicted playing 11 for 2026 is missing three players before the first ball is bowled. MS Dhoni is out with a calf strain for the first two weeks. Dewald Brevis has a side strain and misses the opener. Nathan Ellis is done for the entire season. 3 absentees before Guwahati.
Yet they say the IPL is a tournament where 8 or 10 teams compete just to face CSK in the final. Five titles, 12 playoffs, 10 finals. Chennai Super Kings don’t rebuild. They just dominate.
Jadeja left. Samson walked in through a trade. The 2 most expensive uncapped players in IPL history make their debuts in yellow. This is the XI.
CSK Predicted Playing XI For IPL 2026
No Dhoni. No Brevis. No Ellis. Here is the XI
| Player Name | Player Role | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Sanju Samson (WK) | Wicketkeeper Batter | 1 |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad (C) | Opener | 2 |
| Ayush Mhatre | Top Order Batter | 3 |
| Matthew Short | All-Rounder (Overseas) | 4 |
| Shivam Dube | All-Rounder | 5 |
| Kartik Sharma | All-Rounder | 6 |
| Prashant Veer | All-Rounder | 7 |
| Matt Henry | Right-Arm Fast Medium (Overseas) | 8 |
| Khaleel Ahmed | Left-Arm Pacer | 9 |
| Noor Ahmad | Left-Arm Wrist Spinner | 10 |
| Anshul Kamboj | Right-Arm Pacer | 11 |
| Impact Sub | Rahul Chahar | — |
Backups: MS Dhoni (two weeks), Dewald Brevis (rehabbing), Spencer Johnson (arriving around April 21)
Dhoni is in the dugout. Everyone else has a job to do.
CSK’s IPL 2026 XI: Every Position Broken Down
15 names in the squad. Eleven make the XI. Here is who starts and why.
The Top Three: Samson, Gaikwad, and Mhatre
Three right-handers, three different gears. CSK’s top order has never looked quite like this.
Sanju Samson opens and keeps wicket with Dhoni unavailable.
| Season | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2025 | 9 | 285 | 35.63 | 140.39 |
| IPL 2024 | 16 | 531 | 48.27 | 153.47 |
| IPL Career | 177 | 4704 | 30.95 | 139.05 |
3 hundreds | 26 fifties | Player of the Tournament, T20 World Cup 2026
The 2025 numbers were modest by his standards. He knows that. CSK traded Jadeja and Curran to get him anyway, which tells you exactly how much they believe in what he can do at the top. His 2024 form is the version CSK is banking on.
Ruturaj Gaikwad opens alongside Samson and leads the side.
| Season | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2025 | 5 | 122 | 24.40 | 150.6 |
| IPL 2024 | 14 | 583 | 53.00 | 141.16 |
| IPL Career | 71 | 2502 | 40.35 | 137.47 |
2 hundreds | 20 fifties | HS: 108*
Missed most of 2025, CSK finished last without him. He is back fit, back in form, and carrying the weight of a franchise trying to rediscover itself. This is his team now.
Ayush Mhatre walks in at three with very little IPL experience and no fear whatsoever.
- IPL 2025: 240 runs in 7 matches as replacement player | Top Score: 94
- List A average: 65.42 | Strike Rate: 135.50
- U19 World Cup winning captain
He is 19. He scored 94 on debut and barely looked like stopping. Fleming backed him at three ahead of more experienced names.
Middle Order: Short and Dube Hold the Core Together
Two very different batters covering for two very different absentees.
Matthew Short slots into four with Brevis unavailable.
| Format | Matches | Runs | HS | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL Career | 6 | 173 | 92 | 127.17 |
T20I Strike Rate: 150+ across 24 matches | Signed at INR 1.5 crore | Bowls off-spin
Short joined the squad on March 22. His off-spin is a genuine bonus on a surface that could turn in Guwahati. When Brevis returns, the middle order gets an upgrade. Until then, Short handles it.
Shivam Dube brings power hitting and tournament experience at five.
| Season | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2025 | 14 | 357 | 32.45 | 132.22 |
| IPL 2024 | 14 | 396 | 36.00 | 162.30 |
| IPL Career | 79 | 1859 | 30.48 | 143.66 |
Two-time T20 World Cup winner (2024 and 2026)
Dube is the bridge between the established names above him and the two uncapped debutants below. His ability to take on spin is among the best in the format. That matters when Noor Ahmad is operating at the other end.
INR 28.4 Crore on Two Uncapped Players: Kartik and Veer
The biggest story of CSK’s 2026. Two youngsters. Joint most expensive uncapped players in IPL history. Both debut on the same night.
Kartik Sharma comes in at six with an IPL debut in a season-opener.
- INR 14.2 crore at the IPL 2026 auction
- Known for hitting the ball high and far against international bowlers in trials
- CSK spent a combined INR 28.4 crore on Kartik and Veer at the auction
That price tag is not a gamble. It is a conviction built on what the coaching staff watched in training and domestic cricket.
Prashant Veer bats at seven and is Jadeja’s long-term replacement in every sense.
- INR 14.2 crore, the joint-most expensive uncapped player in IPL history alongside Kartik
- 20 years old | Left-arm spin allrounder | Left-handed batter
- Emerging Player of the 2025 UPT20 League | Worked directly with CSK bowling coach S Sriram pre-season
CSK knew they were trading Jadeja when they made the Samson deal. Veer is who they identified to fill that gap. Left-arm spin, left-handed hitting, and a high ceiling at 20.
The Bowling Attack: Khaleel, Noor, Henry, and Kamboj
Noor Ahmad carried out this attack in 2025. He will not do it alone in 2026.
Khaleel Ahmed leads the pace unit with the new ball.
| Season | Matches | Wickets | Best | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2025 | 14 | 15 | 3/29 | 9.58 |
| IPL 2024 | 14 | 17 | 2/21 | 9.58 |
| IPL Career | 71 | 89 | 3/21 | 8.98 |
One of the few bright spots in a forgettable 2025. Powerplay wickets are his job, and he delivered them on a losing side all season.
Noor Ahmad owns the middle overs and is the heartbeat of this bowling attack.
| Season | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2025 | 14 | 24 | 4/18 | 17.00 | 8.16 |
| IPL 2024 | 10 | 8 | 2/20 | 36.25 | 8.33 |
| IPL Career | 37 | 48 | 4/18 | 22.23 | 8.08 |
Twenty-four wickets at 17 in a team that finished last. Without Jadeja and Ashwin alongside him in 2026, the workload increases. So does the opportunity.
Matt Henry was a spare bowler at CSK in 2015 and returns to the franchise over a decade later for IPL 2026.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T20 Career | 186 | 224 | 5/18 | 8.27 |
| IPL | 6 | 2 | 1/28 | 10.64 |
His IPL record is modest. His T20 record across 186 matches is not. Henry fills the gap left by Ellis and gives Gaikwad an experienced overseas pace option when conditions demand it. Spencer Johnson arrives around April 21. Until then, Henry is the seam cover.
Anshul Kamboj completes the pace unit at eleven.
| Season | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL 2025 | 8 | 8 | 3/13 | 21.50 | 8.00 |
| IPL Career | 11 | 10 | 3/13 | 28.60 | 9.08 |
Test debut for India after the 2025 IPL season. Eight wickets in eight matches across a losing campaign. Kamboj kept his end clean throughout. His Test call-up said the rest.
Dhoni, Brevis, Ellis: Three Missing. Here Is the Impact:
Dhoni’s calf strain rules him out for around two weeks. He has 5439 career IPL runs in 278 matches at a strike rate of 137.45, with 24 fifties.
His absence is not just about runs. It is about what his presence does to younger players and the read he gives Gaikwad mid-innings. Samson handles the gloves until he returns.
Brevis hit 225 runs in 6 innings at a strike rate of 180 in IPL 2025, with 17 sixes in 125 balls. His career strike rate across 16 IPL matches stands at 153.20. Short covers for now. When Brevis returns, the middle order gets a serious firepower upgrade.
Ellis is out for the entire season. Spencer Johnson arrives as his replacement around April 21. Until then, the pace burden sits entirely with Khaleel, Henry, and Kamboj.
Rahul Chahar and the Impact Player Slot
Chahar is the first-choice impact option and CSK’s clearest tactical upgrade off the bench.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPL Career | 79 | 75 | 4/27 | 7.72 |
He brings 79 IPL matches and 75 career wickets to a spin attack that Noor Ahmad cannot carry alone. His leg-spin gives Gaikwad a second spinner and genuine variety in the middle overs. The right conditions, and he walks straight in.
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Conclusion: No Dhoni. No Brevis. No Ellis. CSK’s New Era Starts Right Now
CSK’s predicted playing 11 for 2026 takes the field in Guwahati already managing three absences. That is the reality. But this is a CSK that spent INR 28.4 crore on two uncapped debutants, traded Jadeja and Curran to land Samson, and handed Gaikwad a squad built for the future.
Noor Ahmad took 24 wickets at 17 last season in a team that finished last. Samson averaged 48.27 the season before. The core is stronger now.
FAQ
Ruturaj Gaikwad. He opens the batting alongside Sanju Samson and leads the side with Dhoni unavailable for the first two weeks.
Calf strain. Dhoni is likely to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026. Coach Stephen Fleming confirmed it ahead of the Guwahati fixture.
Sanju Samson. He takes the gloves at the opener while Dhoni recovers.
CSK needed a wicketkeeper-batter to eventually take over from Dhoni and wanted more attacking options at the top. Jadeja and Curran went to the Rajasthan Royals as part of the deal.
Noor Ahmad. 24 wickets in 14 innings in IPL 2025 at an average of 17, finishing second in the overall wicket charts despite CSK finishing last.
