Key takeaways
- CSK finished 8th in 2026 with six wins from 14, after finishing last in 2025.
- Sanju Samson (477 runs) and Anshul Kamboj (21 wickets) led their 2026 season.
- Chepauk is no longer a pure spinners' ground; evening games are easier for batting than afternoon ones.
- On 5 November CSK traded Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis to SRH for Liam Livingstone and Jack Edwards.
- This guide uses the 2026 squad; we will update it after retentions on 17 November and the December auction.
CSK at a glance
| Captain | Ruturaj Gaikwad |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Zaheer Khan (from 2027; replaced Stephen Fleming) |
| Home ground | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk), Chennai |
| IPL titles | 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023 |
| 2026 league stage | 8th — 6 wins, 8 losses, 12 points |
| 2026 top run-scorer | Sanju Samson, 477 |
| 2026 top wicket-taker | Anshul Kamboj, 21 |
The 2026 season in brief
After finishing bottom in 2025, CSK reshaped the squad: Sanju Samson arrived from Rajasthan Royals in a trade that sent Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran the other way, and the auction added Matt Henry, Akeal Hosein, Matthew Short and Rahul Chahar. They lost their first three matches, won six of the next eight, then lost their last three to finish 8th.
Injuries shaped the season: Khaleel Ahmed, Jamie Overton, Ayush Mhatre, Ramakrishna Ghosh and Nathan Ellis were all ruled out at different points. MS Dhoni was in the squad but did not play a match.
Squad by role (2026)
| Role | Players |
|---|---|
| Batters | Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Kartik Sharma, Urvil Patel, Sarfaraz Khan, MS Dhoni |
| Wicket-keeper | Sanju Samson |
| All-rounders | Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis (overseas), Matthew Short (overseas), Dian Forrester (overseas), Macneil Noronha |
| Pace bowlers | Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry (overseas), Zak Foulkes (overseas), Spencer Johnson (overseas), Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, Aman Hakim Khan, Akash Madhwal, Kuldip Yadav |
| Spin bowlers | Noor Ahmad (overseas), Akeal Hosein (overseas), Rahul Chahar, Shreyas Gopal, Prashant Veer |
Forrester, Noronha, Johnson, Madhwal and Kuldip Yadav joined as injury replacements.
Changes since the season: England all-rounder Liam Livingstone (₹6 crore) and Australian all-rounder Jack Edwards (₹3 crore) have joined from Sunrisers Hyderabad; Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis, both injured for most or all of 2026, have gone the other way. See CSK and SRH complete a four-player trade.
Form and numbers from 2026
| Player | Role | 2026 numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Sanju Samson | Wicket-keeper batter | 477 runs |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | Batter (captain) | 337 runs |
| Kartik Sharma | Batter | 295 runs |
| Shivam Dube | All-rounder | 270 runs |
| Anshul Kamboj | Pace bowler | 21 wickets |
| Noor Ahmad | Spin bowler | 13 wickets |
| Akeal Hosein | Spin bowler | 8 wickets |
Two things stand out for fantasy. Samson gave CSK a wicket-keeper who also scored the most runs — the most valuable profile in a fantasy team. And Kamboj, with 21 wickets, was one of the breakout bowlers of the season. Jamie Overton took 14 wickets before he was ruled out injured, and Ayush Mhatre scored 201 runs before his injury.
Core fantasy picks
- Sanju Samson — CSK's leading run-scorer and wicket-keeper, so he scores from catches and stumpings as well as runs. A natural captaincy option when CSK bat well.
- Ruturaj Gaikwad — the captain and a top-order batter who faces plenty of balls.
- Anshul Kamboj — 21 wickets in 2026. A seamer taking wickets regularly is a strong pick in almost every fixture.
- Noor Ahmad — CSK's main wrist-spinner, with 13 wickets in 2026.
Value picks and differentials
- Shivam Dube — a middle-order hitter who can also bowl; useful when the opposition attack is spin-heavy.
- Kartik Sharma — 295 runs in his first season; often cheaper than the big names.
- Dewald Brevis — an overseas hitter; when he plays, his ceiling is high, so he suits mega contests.
- Akeal Hosein — left-arm spin; a quiet, economical option on slower afternoon pitches.
Always check the confirmed playing eleven and batting order after the toss.
Chepauk: what the numbers say
M. A. Chidambaram Stadium used to be known as a spinners' ground. Recent seasons have been better for batting, especially at night. All-time IPL figures at the venue (96 matches, as of May 2026):
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average first-innings score | 165 |
| Wins batting first / chasing | 53 / 43 |
| Highest total | 246 |
| Highest successful chase | 210 |
What it means for your team:
- Afternoon games favour bowlers. The sea breeze can give seamers movement, the surface is dry and hard, and spinners get grip. Pick an extra bowler and be careful with your batting captain.
- Evening games get easier for batting as the sun goes down — top-order batters regain value.
- Batting first has won more often than chasing here (53 to 43), so a solid first-innings total can be enough. After the toss, consider the bowlers of the side defending.
Full venue breakdown — records, toss trends, pace vs spin and a pre-match checklist: Chepauk pitch report. For a general routine, see pitch and conditions.
Matchups to check before each CSK game
- CSK's spinners against the opposition middle order. Noor Ahmad, Hosein and Rahul Chahar give CSK several spin options at a ground where spin still grips; an opposition middle order that struggles against spin is a good fixture for them.
- Kamboj against the new-ball openers. His wickets make him valuable when the opposition top order has been inconsistent.
- Opposition pace against CSK's top three. In afternoon games with movement, the visiting side's new-ball bowlers can be strong differential picks.
- Samson against spin in the middle overs. If he bats through, he faces CSK's toughest phase at home; check his recent record against the visiting spinners.
Where to look: player profiles and head-to-head pages on ESPNcricinfo or the official IPL site list a batter's record against each bowler and bowling type.
Captaincy in CSK matches
- Evening games at Chepauk: Samson or Gaikwad.
- Afternoon games at Chepauk: Kamboj or a spinner like Noor Ahmad, whose wickets keep scoring when runs are scarce.
- In mega contests: an all-rounder such as Dube, or the opposition's lead spinner, separates you from teams captained by Samson.
More on choosing: captain and vice-captain.
Recent head-to-head (2025–2026)
CSK's results against the other nine teams over the last two seasons.
| Opponent | 2025 | 2026 | CSK won–lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delhi Capitals | Lost | Won, won | 2–1 |
| Gujarat Titans | Won | Lost, lost | 1–2 |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Lost, won | Won | 2–1 |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Won | Won, lost | 2–1 |
| Mumbai Indians | Won, lost | Won, won | 3–1 |
| Punjab Kings | Lost, lost | Lost | 0–3 |
| Rajasthan Royals | Lost, lost | Lost | 0–3 |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Lost, lost | Lost | 0–3 |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Lost | Lost, lost | 0–3 |
Treat these results as context, not a prediction: squads change every year, and the venue and conditions matter more for a single match. What stands out is CSK's strong recent record against Mumbai Indians and their run of defeats against Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, RCB and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
What to watch before IPL 2027
- A new head coach. Zaheer Khan was appointed in September 2026, ending Stephen Fleming's long spell in charge after CSK finished eighth in 2026. A new coach can mean new roles and a new batting order — watch the first few games before trusting last season's patterns.
- Livingstone and Edwards. The four-player trade with SRH adds two overseas all-rounders. Where Livingstone bats, and whether he and Edwards get into the XI ahead of other overseas players, decides their value — see CSK and SRH complete a four-player trade.
- 17 November — retentions. Whether CSK keep their overseas spinners decides how their attack looks; with Khaleel and Ellis gone, Indian pace support for Anshul Kamboj is a need.
- 16 December — auction. With Dhoni not playing in 2026, a decision on his future and any new top-order batter would change the batting order.
- Fixtures (expected early 2027). Note which CSK home games are afternoon starts — those are the ones to pick bowlers.
Sources
- ThePrint (PTI), Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad agree to four-player trade, 5 November 2026 — CSK–SRH trade and fees.
- The Tribune (ANI), IPL extends deadline for retention lists to November 17, 2 November 2026 — retention deadline.
- Outlook India, Zaheer Khan replaces Stephen Fleming as Chennai Super Kings' new head coach, 21 September 2026.
- Wikipedia, 2026 Chennai Super Kings season — squad, results, run and wicket tallies, trades.
- Wikipedia, 2025 Chennai Super Kings season — 2025 results.
- Wikipedia, Chennai Super Kings — titles.
- CricTracker, CSK vs LSG: IPL 2026 records and stats at MA Chidambaram Stadium, May 2026 — venue figures and pitch notes.