IPL 2026 is knocking at the door. After a disappointing campaign in 2025, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have been trying for months to reshape their team. In a big move, they acquired the services of Sanju Samson in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in a swap deal with Rajasthan Royals.
The team management and CSK fans will have a lot of expectations from the star keeper-batsman. But cricket is not just about individual performance, it also reflects a team game. To get back the golden days, Sanju as well as other CSK players need to step up in big moments. Apart from Sanju Samson, who are the other players who can perform exceptionally? Let’s find out. As the Chennai Super Kings management has tried to build a balanced team with both experienced and emerging talent, the article will also follow the same while maintaining the proper balance.
Apart from Sanju Samson, 3 players who can lead CSK to another IPL title:
3. Sarfaraz Khan
Sarfaraz Khan was in tremendous form in the last domestic season. The batsman who played Test matches for India and was known for his strong defense and technical abilities surprised everyone when he started scoring runs at a fast pace for Mumbai. Khan’s transformation was not only surprising but also impressive. If it continues the same form in the IPL 2026 season, CSK will get an edge over the opposition bowlers.
Sarfaraz Khan’s recent performance in domestic tournaments:
|
Competition |
total number of innings |
it goes |
strike rate |
|
ranji trophy 2025-26 |
9 |
425 |
75.13 |
|
Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 |
5 |
303 |
190.57 |
|
Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 2025 |
7 |
329 |
203.09 |
2. Ayush Mhatre
Young players can act as trump cards for the team in the upcoming Indian Premier League season. The top-order batsman, whose leadership skills helped India Under-19 win the ICC Under-19 World Cup, is capable of scoring significant amounts of runs at a fast pace. Last year, when he joined the mid-day team as a replacement for the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad, it didn’t take long for the 18-year-old to prove his batting antics. In his first IPL season, the top-order batsman scored 240 runs in 7 matches with a strike rate of 188.97 and a batting average of 34.28.
1. Shivam Dubey
The seam bowling all-rounder was the silent hero behind Team India’s T20 World Cup 2026 win. He has been associated with CSK for more than 4 years and knows the team environment very well. Dubey can prove to be a game-changer in any situation. Last season with the Super Kings, he scored 357 runs in 14 matches and maintained a strike rate of 132.22. However his bowling personality remained unused in the season. The management can rely more on his bowling, as he took wickets in important T20 WC 2026 matches.
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