Chennai: The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise has signaled a major decision, making it clear that Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. While the franchise did not issue a formal press release, a post on their X (formerly Twitter) account featuring a specific picture and message clearly indicated that the captaincy will remain with Gaikwad.
A Difficult Preceding Season
Gaikwad’s tenure as captain in the previous IPL 2025 season was challenging. He led the team for the initial five matches, during which CSK managed only one win and suffered four defeats. Gaikwad himself scored 122 runs across those five games.
His season was cut short after he sustained an elbow injury against Rajasthan Royals (RR), ruling him out for the rest of the tournament. Though MS Dhoni took over the captaincy, CSK’s performance failed to improve, concluding the season at the bottom of the table with only four wins from 14 matches.
Major Squad Overhaul for 2026
Ahead of IPL 2026, Chennai Super Kings has undertaken significant restructuring, including trading high-profile players and releasing several others. The team has retained a strong core centered around Ruturaj and Dhoni, made some interesting retentions, and strengthened its lineup by trading in Sanju Samson.
| Status | Player(s) |
| Players Released | Ravindra Jadeja (Traded to RR), Andre Siddharth, Deepak Hooda, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Matheesha Pathirana, Sam Curran (Traded to RR), Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Rahul Tripathi, Sheik Rasheed, Vanshi Bedi, Vijay Shankar |
| Players Retained | MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (Traded from RR), Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Urvil Patel, Noor Ahmad, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Khaleel Ahmed, Ramakrishnan Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Jamie Overton, Gurjapneet Singh, Anshul Kamboj |
Financial Breakdown:
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Remaining Purse: $43.40$ crore INR
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Slots Remaining: 9 (including 4 overseas)
Hunt for an Overseas All-Rounder
CSK’s biggest priority in the upcoming auction will be finding a top-tier overseas all-rounder to fill the void left by Sam Curran. With a substantial purse remaining, the team is expected to bid heavily for players like Andre Russell, Glenn Maxwell, Liam Livingstone, or Cameron Green. They will also be looking for a seam bowling backup for Nathan Ellis.
With a fully fit Ruturaj Gaikwad returning to lead a significantly restructured squad, CSK is banking on 2026 to be a chance for a fresh start.
