3 reasons why Chennai Super Kings must start Matt Henry in their playing XI for IPL 2026

Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) made headlines with their twin buys of two uncapped Indian players for a record price of ₹14.20 crore at the IPL 2026 auction. However, before and after these big moves, the team made several other signings that went mostly unnoticed.

One of these was the purchase of veteran New Zealand pacer Matt Henry for ₹2 crore, adding strength to their pace-bowling lineup. The Men in Yellow had a disappointing 2025 IPL season, finishing at the bottom of the points table.

Henry has also struggled in his few IPL appearances, averaging over 90 with an economy rate above 10 in six matches. Yet, the 2026 season with CSK could be his breakout year for several reasons.

Here are three key reasons why CSK should start Matt Henry in their playing XI for IPL 2026.

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1. Matt Henry Has Become a Strong T20 Bowler

For most of his career, Matt Henry was seen as a new-ball bowler, mainly for longer formats. Many people thought he was only suited for that role, but recent performances show otherwise.

Henry has done very well in T20Is over the past two years. He has taken 25 T20I wickets since last year at an average of 21 and an economy rate under 9 in 18 matches.

He also played well in T20 leagues this year. In the Hundred 2025, he took four wickets at an average of 11 and an economy of 6.60. In the 2025 Vitality Blast, he finished with 16 wickets at an average of 17.56 and an economy of 7.39 in 10 matches.

Given his success in the shortest format, Henry should play in CSK’s 11 as a potential match-winner next season.

2. Henry Solves CSK’s Bowling Problems

CSK had a poor 2025 season because they struggled to find the right bowling balance. They often played three spinners — Ashwin, Jadeja, and Noor Ahmad — and had few good pace options.

This caused problems. Ashwin often bowled with the new ball and gave away runs. CSK also struggled in the last overs, with only Pathirana as a reliable option.

With Matt Henry, CSK will have one of the most reliable new-ball bowlers. He can control runs in the powerplay and take top-order wickets. Henry can also bowl in the death overs using slower balls and yorkers. His addition should fix one of CSK’s biggest problems from last season.

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3. CSK’s Auction Makes Henry a Key Player

Before the 2026 auction, CSK released three experienced pacers — Pathirana, Sam Curran, and Kamlesh Nagarkoti. This left the team with very few pace options.

In the auction, CSK bought only one specialist pacer, Matt Henry, along with two medium-pace all-rounders, Zak Foulkes and Aman Khan. CSK still needs another reliable pacer besides Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj.

While Jamie Overton is an option, he and the others are mainly support bowlers. This makes Matt Henry a default choice to strengthen CSK’s pace attack.