IPL 2026: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Team Best Playing XI to Fix Losing Streak

With MS Dhoni back in the team, explore the strongest winning playing XI for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. 

Three losses from three games, and it is IPL 2025 all over the Chennai Super Kings team. Nothing has been working well for the CSK team this season so far. Right from losing Nathan Ellis due to injury, the CSK team have been without Dewald Brevis and MS Dhoni for the first three matches.

While the loss of three key players has not been good for the CSK team, they have also had a loss of form from some of their key players.  The form of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson – CSK’s most expensive and reliable batters has been a worry so far. These two have failed in all three matches so far, and that has resulted in a batting collapse in all matches so far.

In addition, the bowling form of Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, and Matt Henry has been a big challenge too. With these five players, who are supposedly their MVP players, suffering from form, CSK are yet to get off the mark in the IPL. 

The good news for Chennai Super Kings is that Dewald Brevis and MS Dhoni are almost nearing fitness, and with the next match scheduled on Saturday, expect both of them to be fit for the rest of the tournament.

But what changes are CSK likely to make to turn things around? Well, let’s analyse the current squad composition, and look at the best possible playing 11 for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for IPL 2026 to fix the losing streak. 

IPL 2026 Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Full Squad and Complete Players List

Batters

• Ayush Mhatre
• Dewald Brevis (FO)
• Ruturaj Gaikwad (C)
• Sarfaraz Khan

Wicket-keepers

• Kartik Sharma
• MS Dhoni
• Sanju Samson
• Urvil Patel

All-rounders

• Aman Khan
• Jamie Overton (FO)
• Matthew Short (FO)
• Prashant Veer
• Shivam Dube
• Zak Foulkes (FO)

Bowlers

• Akeal Hosein (FO)
• Anshul Kamboj
• Gurjapneet Singh
• Khaleel Ahmed
• Matt Henry (FO)
• Mukesh Choudhary
• Spencer Johnson (FO)
• Noor Ahmad (FO)
• Rahul Chahar
• Ramkrishna Ghosh
• Shreyas Gopal

Let’s start with the two key changes that should happen in the very next match, and that’s the return of Dewald Brevis and MS Dhoni. Brevis is CSK’s best middle-order batter, so his return should boost CSK’s batting a lot.

At the same time, MS Dhoni’s aura is enough on the field to boost the confidence of the players. With these two batters added, expect Kartik Sharma and Jamie Overton to make way for them. While Kartik hasn’t done well, Overton may have to make way for the combination.

So, with Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson as openers, Ayush Mhatre at 3, we should see Dewald Brevis at 4, Sarfaraz Khan, who has been brilliant so far at 5, Shivam Dube at 6, Prashant Veer at 7, and MS Dhoni at 8.

So, this looks like a solid batting lineup, and if Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson can come back to form, the batting lineup can cover up for the flaws they have had so far.

Now, coming to the bowling lineup, the Chennai Super Kings team will somehow need to back Prashant Veer in the bowling. Veer has not bowled a single over so far, and he is actually a bowling AR skill-wise.

So, unless he is injured, there is no reason why Veer won’t bowl. In addition to Veer, who should share the 5th bowler with Dube, CSK will need better performance from Matt Henry, Noor Ahmad, and Khaleel Ahmed, who look terribly out of form in the bowling. 

IPL 2026: Best Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Team Playing XI to Fix Losing Streak

1. Sanju Samson
2. Ruturaj Gaikwad (c)
3. Ayush Mhatre
4. Dewald Brevis
5. Sarfaraz Khan
6. Shivam Dube
7. Prashant Veer
8. MS Dhoni (wk)
9. Anshul Kamboj
10. Matt Henry
11. Noor Ahmad
12. Khaleel Ahmed (Impact Player)

Thanks for reading. So, what’s your IPL 2026 best playing 11 for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK)? Please email your thoughts to ipladdafounder@gmail.com. 

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