3 min readMar 26, 2026 11:15 AM IST Chennai Super Kings will open this season with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and newcomer Sanju Samson, Gaikwad has revealed before the start of IPL 2026 season. Speaking on the sidelines of the IPL captains’ day event, Gaikwad did not get drawn into conversations about the spot where franchise cornerstone MS Dhoni will play. The team also has in its ranks Ayush Mhatre, who recently led the India U19 team to the ICC U19 World Cup title. Mhatre was one of openers CSK tried last season, partnering with Devon Conway or Shaik Rasheed. The New Zealand opener was released by CSK ahead of the IPL auctions, where he went unsold. Another New Zealand player, Rachin Ravindra, who also opened for CSK in a few games last season was released by the CSK team and ended up at KKR via the auction. CSK have traditionally relied on a tried-and-tested formula for their opening pair: one foreign player and an Indian player at the top of the order. They have had …