Sanju Samson or Ruturaj Gaikwad! Who will open for CSK in IPL 2026?
(Courtesy : BCCI/IPL)
Sanju Samson was chosen as the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup 2026.
Sanju Samson, after playing a key role in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 title win, will be playing for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The season will start from March 28 with CSK reportedly playing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the first game of the season.
Sanju Samson stepped up for India when it mattered most in the T20 World Cup 2026. Playing just five games, he scored 321 runs in the tournament, the most by any Indian batter in this edition. He scored three consecutive fifties, two in knockouts and became the third batter to score fifties in both the semi-final and the final.
The Kerala batter, who was going through tough time with the bat ahead of T20 World Cup 2026, will now look to translate his international form into performances in the IPL. His trade to CSK was the big blockbuster story before the start of the season.
Sanju Samson likely to open instead of Ruturaj Gaikwad for CSK in IPL 2026
Chennai Super Kings will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, however, it is Sanju Samson who is expected to open the batting with Ayush Mhatre. To see Samson and Mhatre opening the batting will be some sight for the CSK fans. Both batters can tee off from the first ball and will have the complete backing from the team management to do so.
Given Samson’s recent dream run in international cricket, the management will back him to open the batting and score runs at the top. CSK had always depended on their openers to give them a good start whenever they did well in the league. They finished last on the table in IPL 2025, winning just four games. Their table position was a big indicator of how poorly they performed last year and much of it was due to the inconsistent opening combination at the top.
Starting from last season, CSK invested in youngsters in the team. They retained the likes of Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel and Dewald Brevis ahead of the mega auction, along with their skipper Gaikwad. The inclusion of Samson has now given the franchise a good core of Indian batters with Brevis and Shivam Dube as the specialist big-hitters in the lineup.
Heading into IPL 2026 with Sanju Samson almost set to open the batting, they are relying heavily on their batters to win them matches, with MS Dhoni slotted in at number seven or eight in the lineup.
When will IPL 2026 begin?
The IPL 2026 will begin on March 28.
Who will lead Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026?
Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead CSK in IPL 2026.
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Anshuman Roy is a senior cricket journalist with nearly a decade of experience covering the game. His love for cricket began in childhood, playing at school and college level before turning that passion into a profession. Over the years, he has written for several reputed media houses and specialises in news, features, previews, reviews, match reports, and opinion pieces.