Watch: Official video leaked CSK's opening combination for IPL 2026

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad makes a huge revelation ahead of the IPL 2026. The skipper himself includes essential details about their opening pair for the upcoming season.  

For the IPL 2026 season, the former champions have signed multiple prominent batters who can open the innings for the team. Ruturaj, Sanju Samson, and Ayush Mhatre are the potential three batters who are in contention to open the innings for CSK. Among these three players, the team management will have to confirm only two to form an opening pair.

What did Ruturaj Gaikwad say about CSK's opening pair ahead of IPL 2026?

With multiple top-notch batters in the side, the management will have to find the best possible batting combination. MS Dhoni’s batting position is still unclear. It was reported before that Sanju Samson is most likely to take the wicket-keeping gloves. If he goes to keep the wickets, then what will be the role for the former captain? Amid the suspense regarding Dhoni’s batting role in the team, the current skipper provides a hint about their potential opening pair.

Star Sports recently shared a video on the social media platform ‘X’, on which the cricket fans can hear what Ruturaj Gaikwad opined on their potential opening combination.

Ayush Mhatre and Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson, or Ayush Mhatre and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who can be the openers for CSK, Gaikwad was asked. In reply, taking very little time, the Chennai captain said, “Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson”.

Read More: KKR sign Navdeep Saini as Harshit Rana replacement ahead of IPL 2026

Ayush Mhatre to bat as the number 3 batter for CSK?

According to the captain, it is most likely to see him and Samson opening the innings for Super Kings in the IPL 2026 season. If they go to open the innings, then Mhatre will have to play as a middle-order batter.  The 18-year-old batter, who guided the U-19 Indian cricket team to win the ICC U-19 World Cup recently as the captain, is a proven top-order batter. For Mumbai and the national cricket team, he mostly performed as an opener. But, he can fit at the number three batting position as well.

Last season, when Mhatre joined the team in the middle of the season, replacing the injured captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, he used to open the innings for CSK. In 7 matches, he performed as an opener in 6 games, and in one match, he went to bat at number 3. In the only match, where he played as the number three batter, the emerging cricketer scored 32 runs for a strike rate of 213.33, while as an opener of CSK, his batting average after 6 matches was 34.67, and strike rate 185.71.  

Why should Ruturaj Gaikwad play as an opener?

Ruturaj Gaikwad himself is a flexible batter who can accommodate himself in the playing combination according to the team’s needs. So far for CSK, Gaikwad has performed in four different roles for the team. As an opener, he played 60 innings, whilst he played one match each at Number 4 and number 5, and 8 matches from the number three batting role.

Ruturaj Gaikwad’s batting positions for the Chennai Super Kings: