Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has revealed that he will open the batting alongside newly signed Sanju Samson in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
There have been a lot of question marks over CSK's starting combination since the arrival of Samson in the trade deal and the emergence of Ayush Mhatre towards the end of 2025. After a poor start to their campaign last time, CSK changed their philosophy and went with young players who were able to strike hard from the start.
Mhatre was successful at the top of the order, scoring 240 runs at a strike-rate of 188.97. However, 18-year-old Samson is making way for the opening alongside skipper Gaikwad and is now widely expected to bat at number three.
It is logical for CSK to use Samson as an opening batsman after his performance in the recently concluded T20 World Cup. The right-hander scored 321 runs at a strike rate of less than 200 to lead India to its second consecutive T20 title. The 31-year-old played three consecutive match-winning innings in the tournament to be declared the Player of the Tournament.
GaikwadMeanwhile, he played just five times last year before suffering an injury that kept him out of the entire tournament. He has been CSK's primary opener for many years and the captain would like to continue playing in the position he is most comfortable in, giving himself a chance to settle and play long innings.
In his last full season in Chennai, Gaikwad scored 583 runs at an average of 53 and a strike rate of 141.16.
For CSK, both Mhatre and Samson are equally dynamic players who play big shots from the first ball. Opening with the former Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain and another hard-hitting player like Abhishek Sharma, the combination worked for India.
The five-time champions have an exciting squad this year after a disappointing campaign last time around, where they finished bottom of the table. They will start their 2026 IPL campaign against RR at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati.
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