Ashwin selected 5 batters, 2 all-rounders and 4 bowlers.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have built a quality team for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. By acquiring Sanju Samson via a trade, CSK had already taken a step in the right direction and ticked the remaining boxes in the IPL 2026 auction.
Ashwin’s best CSK Playing XI for IPL 2026
Earlier today, CSK asked Twitterati which XII player (XI plus impact player) they would field. IPL legend Ravichandran Ashwin was quick to respond and named his side. Contrary to popular belief, Ashwin did not choose Samson as Ruturaj Gaikwad’s opening partner.
| Player | Type |
|---|---|
| Ayush Mhatre | Opener |
| Sanju Samson | Opener |
| Gaikwad Community (c) | Top notch dough |
| Shivam Dubey | A bowling all-rounder |
| Dewald Brevis✈️ | Intermediate order dough |
| Prashant Veer | Versatile spin bowling |
| MS Dhoni | Wicketkeeper |
| Akeal Hossein✈️/ Matt Henry✈️ |
Spinner/ Pacer |
| Khalil Ahmed | Pacer |
| Nathan Ellis✈️ | Pacer |
| Noor Ahmad✈️ | Spinner |
| Anshul Kamboj/ Karthik Sharma/ Shreyas Gopal/ Sarfaraz Khan |
Impact player |
He stuck with Ayush Mhatre as the designated opener and pushed Gaikwad to number three. Ashwin promoted Ashwin Dube to four and stuck with Dewald Brevis at six. As expected, Prashant Veer was slotted in as a seven-year replacement for Ravindra Jadeja.
Depending on the conditions, Ashwin believes CSK should go for one of Matt Henry or Akeal Hossein on the right. Next come Nathan Ellis, Khaleel Ahmed and Noor Ahmad. Depending on whether CSK bats first or second, they can use one of four impact players: Anshul Kamboj, Karthik Sharma, Shreyas Gopal or Sarfaraz Khan.
CSK squad for IPL 2026
MS Dhoni (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brewis✈️, Shivam Dube, Urvil Patel, Noor Ahmad✈️, Nathan Ellis✈️, Shreyas Gopal, Khaleel Ahmed, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Jamie Overton✈️, Gurjapneet Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Akéal Hosein✈️, Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma (week), Matthew Short✈️, Aman Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, Matt Henry✈️, Rahul Chahar, Zak Foulkes✈️
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