CSK openers are expected to be Ayush Mhatre and Sanju Samson in IPL 2026, with Ruturaj Gaikwad fully shifting to his preferred №3 role. If CSK return to their traditional template of using an overseas opener, a Devon Conway replacement like Jonny Bairstow or Quinton de Kock becomes the alternative. These are the only realistic combinations heading into the season.
With Sanju’s trade, that’s the talk of the town: how CSK reshape their top order for 2026 and whether the shift finally stabilises a lineup that has looked unsettled over the last two seasons. The franchise is undergoing a structural reset, and the debate around CSK openers has never been more relevant.
Ruturaj Gaikwad has committed to batting at №3, Ayush Mhatre has erupted as a 17-year-old phenomenon, and MSD is entering what is likely his final competitive stretch. These transitions force CSK to rethink their approach from the first over itself.
The auction pool further complicates the equation. There are aggressive overseas specialists available, promising domestic additions, and tactical reshuffles that could alter the entire batting order. With powerplay returns dipping in 2025 and the middle order losing stability, choosing the right focus at the top becomes the strategic heartbeat of CSK’s 2026 campaign.
CSK’s Opening History & Strategy
CSK’s rise across eras has always been powered by elite opening pairs who dictated games from ball one. Their template was cemented early: Matthew Hayden crushed attacks and won the Orange Cap in 2009, while Mike Hussey delivered calm, high-value starts that anchored their early dominance. This philosophy only grew stronger with time.
Shane Watson produced one of the greatest IPL final knocks ever in 2018, blasting a match-winning hundred, and nearly repeated the miracle in 2019 with another MOTM-level performance. Faf Du Plessis took over the mantle in 2021, delivering a decisive Player of the Match innings in the final. And in 2023, Devon Conway shredded Gujarat in the title clash, yet another reminder of how a solid foreign opener can unlock CSK’s entire tactical ecosystem.
Across all these seasons, one theme never changed: CSK hit their peak when an overseas opener controlled the powerplay. That single structural choice has defined every title run and has now become the benchmark for evaluating their options heading into 2026. Hence the question remains; which CSK opener will make the mark in upcoming season?
Aayush Mhatre: The Confirmed First Opener
Aayush Mhatre isn’t just a promising teenager; he is CSK’s most uncompromisable asset at the top. His 2025 breakout, where he blasted 240 runs in 7 matches at a strike rate of 190, instantly cemented him as a long-term starter.
What sets him apart is his unfiltered powerplay intent: no hesitation, no anchoring, just clean, repeatable hitting against pace and spin. This reliability gives CSK the aggressive foundation it’s lacked since Conway’s exit.
Aayush stabilises the structure simply by being fearless, and his presence allows the rest of the CSK batting lineup to slot naturally around him.
Who Should Partner with Ayush Mhatre? Full CSK Openers 2026 Breakdown
With Ruturaj Gaikwad settling at №3 and Ayush Mhatre locked in as the first name among CSK openers, the real question is simple: who walks out with Ayush? The answer will decide how CSK structure their entire XI, their auction strategy, and how they use their overseas slots.
Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson is not just an option; he is the Alternate one and the most likely reality.
CSK didn’t trade Ravindra Jadeja to Rajasthan for a stopgap. They brought in a 31-year-old, long-term T20 asset who has already carved his name as an India opener; three T20I hundreds, and in the IPL, 4704 runs in 177 matches at a 140 strike rate with 26 fifties and three hundreds. If CSK push Sanju to open with Ayush, the powerplay tempo goes ballistic.
The batting order then looks like this:
- Sanju Samson
- Ayush Mhatre
- Ruturaj Gaikwad ( C )
- New buy — a Cam Green / Moeen Ali / Venkatesh Iyer type
- Shivam Dube
- Dewald Brevis
This setup gives CSK an all-Indian top four, which is gold. It frees them to splurge at the auction on marquee names in the middle and lower order. With a massive purse and Cam Green already touted to cross 20 Cr, CSK can also go after Venkatesh Iyer, who has already proven his value and price bracket.
Structurally, this version lets them run three overseas players below Brevis, for example:
- Brevis + Nathan Ellis + Akeal Hosein + Noor Ahmad, or
- Brevis + Ellis + Noor + Overton (with Overton clearly a placeholder until a better new buy arrives).
That means six bowling options by default, with Venky (if bought) and Shivam Dube rolling their arms over as the 6th/7th options. Sanju’s opening doesn’t just solve the batting; it unlocks the auction strategy.
Overseas CSK Opener 2026 (Conway replacement)
This is Alternate 2: go back to what has historically worked; an overseas opener at the top.
Across CSK’s trophies, there’s a recurring pattern: Hayden, Hussey, Faf du Plessis, Conway; when a foreign opener controlled the powerplay, CSK looked like champions. If they decide to restore that template in 2026, they’ll aggressively chase a proven name as a direct Devon Conway replacement, with profiles like:
- Quinton de Kock — left-handed, powerplay enforcer, experience across leagues.
- Jonny Bairstow — high-risk, high-reward, ideal if CSK want to front-load intent.
- Jason Roy — fast starter, brutal vs pace.
- Kane Williamson — if they want stability over raw pace and use Ayush as the enforcer.
In this model, the top six likely look like:
- Overseas opener
- Ayush Mhatre
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Sanju Samson
- Shivam Dube
- Dewald Brevis
This extends the batting around an ageing MS Dhoni and prevents a repeat of 2025, where he was left to finish alone. It also allows CSK to stack the lower order and the bowling with overseas all-rounders and specialists, such as Noor Ahmad, Nathan Ellis, Akeal Hosein, Matthew Forde, or even a wildcard like Andre Russell (though that remains unlikely).
The trade-off? You burn one overseas slot at the top, which means Shivam Dube must bowl regularly as the 6th bowler, and the team will have slightly less flexibility if an injury hits.
C) In-Squad Alternatives: Urvil Patel
On paper, Urvil Patel is a flexible in-squad option who can be pushed up the order, but let’s be blunt: he’s not currently in the same bracket as Sanju or an overseas specialist.
His primary role is as backup insurance. If Ayush is unavailable, Urvil can step in as a temporary opener and maintain the structure. But in a full-strength XI, he’s fighting just to make the playing XI, not leading the opening debate.
Tactically, his biggest value is that he gives CSK a domestic plug-in solution if injuries hit, without forcing them to shuffle the entire top three of Ayush, Ruturaj, and Sanju.
Who will open for CSK?
Choosing Sanju Samson to walk out with Ayush Mhatre finally gives us what we’ve been begging for as CSK fans: clarity and conviction at the top. For two seasons, we watched the team scramble through power plays, always playing catch-up. With Sanju’s clean ball-striking on one side and Ayush’s fearless tempo on the other, we start every innings on the front foot. No hesitation, no waiting; pure Chennai-style intent from ball one.
Ruturaj sliding into №3 feels right. It’s his zone, and it unlocks Brevis and Dube to swing freely without worrying about rebuilding. And with MSD in his final chapter, surrounding him with depth instead of burden is exactly what the man deserves.
Most importantly, this setup lets us rebuild the lower order the CSK way: smart overseas picks, reliable all-rounders, and a bowling unit with real bite. With Sanju and Ayush leading the charge, 2026 feels like a season where everything finally falls into place again.