Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will look to bounce back from a highly disappointing IPL 2025 hoping to add one more title to their already shining trophy cabinet. With the first phase of the fixtures for IPL 2026 announced, the Super Kings will be charged up to turn the tables around in IPL 2026. Their campaign starts on March 30, 2026 against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati.
Chennai Super Kings create an unwanted record in IPL 2025
For the second consecutive season, the Yellow Army could not qualify for the playoffs and finished at the bottom of the points table. Additionally, it was the first time that the Super Kings had finished at the bottom of the points table, managing only four wins in 14 matches. Although the Rajasthan Royals also had only four wins in as many fixtures, the inaugural IPL champions had a superior net run-rate.
The Super Kings will hope that the high-profile signing of Sanju Samson brings in rich returns. They will be chuffed, given the Kerala-born keeper-batter’s returns in T20 World Cup 2026, headlined by his nerveless knocks in all three knockout matches, playing an integral role in India’s historic title win. Although Samson starts off his IPL seasons strongly, his form tapers off towards the end of the season. The five-time champions will hope it is not the case this time around. Notably, the Super Kings also broke their bank for batter Kartik Sharma and all-rounder Prashant Veer, a clone of Ravindra Jadeja, shelling out ₹14.20 crore for them.
Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad, who was retained after a solid showing in IPL 2025, will return with plenty of expectations from him. All eyes will also be on MS Dhoni, who is 44 and reportedly not likely to play all the matches of the season.
Chennai Super Kings schedule in initial phase of IPL 2026
| Date | Day | Match | Venue |
| March 30 | Monday | RR vs CSK | Guwahati |
| April 3 | Friday | CSK vs PBKS | Chennai |
| April 5 | Sunday | RCB vs CSK | Bengaluru |
| April 11 | Saturday | CSK vs DC | Chennai |
Chennai Super Kings squad
Ruturaj Gaikwad(C), MS Dhoni, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Prashant Veer, Matthew William Short, Aman Khan, Zak Foulkes, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Gurjapneet Singh, Akeal Hosein, Matt Henry, Rahul Chahar.
