IPL 2026: Gaikwad picks Samson as his opening partner for CSK; check Mhatre’s batting position
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "IPL 2026: Gaikwad picks Samson as his opening partner for CSK; check Mhatre’s batting position")
Gaikwad-Samson to open for CSK in IPL 2026, reveals franchise captain Photograph: (Others)
Ruturaj Gaikwad confirms Sanju Samson as his new opening partner for IPL 2026! As CSK prepares for a high-stakes opener against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, find out where U19 star Ayush Mhatre will bat and how the historic Samson-Jadeja trade reshapes the "Yellow Army."
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has a selection headache heading into their tournament opener against Rajasthan Royals in an away IPL 2026 clash on Monday (Mar 30) in Guwahati. While the two IPL heroes, Sanju Samson and Ravindra Jadeja, will hog all the limelight as they face off against their former teams, the biggest question remains unanswered: Who will open for CSK this season? Spilling beans on the number one, two and three spots, with frontline options available, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad broke his silence, picking Samson as his opening partner for the 19th edition.
While Samson switched teams ahead of this season, moving to CSK after several years at RR, Jadeja moved to the Royals, his first IPL team, in a trade swap. Samson’s inclusion helped CSK tick plenty of boxes, including having a seasoned keeper and a potential replacement for MS Dhoni. While Samson batted inside the top three for the Royals over the past seasons, he would open this time for his new team alongside the franchise captain Gaikwad.
Unlike the last season, where CSK struggled to find a settled opening pair despite trying several options, including debuting current U19 World Cup-winning captain, Mhatre, they have made their choices straight this time, picking Samson and Gaikwad as their opening pair. The rookie batter, however, will come in at number three if picked.
Speaking to Star Sports ahead of the tournament opener, CSK captain Gaikwad revealed Samson as his opening partner.
Watch Video –
Trending Stories
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
)
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
)
CSK's batting woes in IPL 2025
CSK finished at the bottom of the points table, with just four wins in 14 contested matches. Although they failed to click as a unit, mid-tournament injury to their top run-getter and captain, Gaikwad, made things worse; having said that, his injury replacement (Mhatre) left a mark with his top-order exploits, hitting 240 runs in seven outings.
Mhatre’s best knock came against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy, where he smashed a brilliant 94 during the run chase. CSK failed to achieve the target and lost that game.
On the other hand, Dewald Brevis, who came in as a replacement for injured seamer Gurjapneet Singh, also impressed with his 225 runs in six outings.
The two will remain an integral part of CSK’s batting unit this season, with several new additions, including Sarfaraz Khan and the uncapped pair of Karthik Sharma and Prashant Veer, adding spice to the attack and allowing Gaikwad plenty of options to pick from.
The CSK captain, however, remained mum on team veteran MS Dhoni’s batting position in IPL 2026.
