IPL 2026: Chennai Super Kings' strongest predicted XI against Rajasthan Royals

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) finished last in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL). The Men in Yellow will want to bounce back strongly from that debacle and aim for a record sixth IPL title. They will start their campaign with a clash against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday, March 30.

The Super Kings have a strong group of players who can take them the distance. Ruturaj Gaikwad is back at the helm after missing a major part of last year's IPL due to injury. The right-handed batter would want to marshal his troops with vigour, especially with the legendary MS Dhoni set to miss the first two weeks of the IPL due to a calf strain.

Here is CSK’s strongest predicted XI for their first game of the season:

Top Order: Sanju Samson (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Ayush Mhatre

CSK have one of the most formidable top three in the tournament. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson, and Ayush Mhatre are three aggressive right-handed batters who can take the game away from the opposition in quick time. Samson was in stellar form during the recently-concluded T20 World Cup, and he would want to extend his purple patch through the IPL. Gaikwad has been very consistent over the years for CSK. On the other hand, Mhatre showed glimpses of his talent last season, and this year, he would want to go from strength to strength, taking confidence from his U-19 World Cup success, where he led India to glory.

Middle Order: Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube

Dewald Brevis came as a mid-tournament injury replacement last season and played some breathtaking knocks. The South African batter could be the middle-order batter to watch out for this season. If he is in form, he could make the best bowling attacks in world cricket look pedestrian.

Shivam Dube was an integral part of India's T20 World Cup-winning side this year. He played some crucial knocks, not just in the middle-order but also while playing the finisher's role. Dube has always been a great spin-basher, but in recent times, he has improved his batting immensely against pacers. It will be interesting to see how much Gaikwad uses him with the ball.

Lower Order: Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton

Prashant Veer was one of the head-turners during the IPL 2026 mini auction when he went for a whopping INR 14.20 crore. He is the joint-most expensive uncapped player in the league's history, along with his CSK teammate Kartik Sharma. Veer will look to play Ravindra Jadeja's role at CSK, as he is a talented 20-year-old left-arm spin-bowler who also bats left-handed.

England's seam-bowling all-rounder Jamie Overton was with the franchise last season as well. He bowls a heavy ball at good speeds. However, there is room for improvement as far as his accuracy is concerned. Overton also needs to contribute more with the bat, as he has the ability to play important cameos down the order.

Bowler: Anshul Kamboj, Rahul Chahar, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed

Anshul Kamboj isn't among the fastest bowlers going around. However, he is known for bowling consistent lines and lengths. He can swing the new ball, but it would be intriguing to see if he can get any movement on the Guwahati pitch, which is not very conducive to the bowlers.

Khaleel Ahmed and Noor Ahmad were two of the rare silver linings for CSK last season. The latter was particularly impressive, finishing with 24 wickets from 14 matches at an average of 17. If Khaleel can get wickets with the new ball, it will make things easier for Ahmad through the middle.

Rahul Chahar was roped in by CSK during the mini auction, and it is expected that he will play from the get-go. The 26-year-old leg-spinner has experience on his side, having played 79 IPL games and seven international matches. He will look to start his journey with CSK with a commendable performance.

CSK’s predicted playing XI:

Sanju Samson (WK), Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj, Rahul Chahar, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed

Impact Player: Kartik Sharma