Overview:
He highlighted that other franchises are dealing with injury issues, which is an advantage of the Chennai Super Kings. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will miss matches in the 19th season.
Former India player Ravichandran Ashwin predicted the best batter for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. He preferred CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad over the wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson, who joined the franchise before the mini-auction. He is in magnificent form and was named the Player of the Tournament in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for scoring over 300 runs, including three-match winning fifties.
“Ruturaj would be CSK’s best batter. I think he will bat at the No.3 slot. His role will be to keep the innings intact. He will play the anchor’s role while other batters will go hard against the bowlers. This is why I think he will top the batting charts for CSK,” Ashwin said.
In the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he amassed 413 runs from seven matches at an average of 82.60 and a strike rate of almost 116, laced with two centuries and a half-century. He is expected to carry his form in the IPL. Ruturaj was ruled out of the last IPL season after playing just five matches, with MS Dhoni returning to lead the side.
Ashwin feels Chennai will be among the best teams in the new season, and they have the team to qualify for the playoffs.
However, he mentioned that at least two of their top three batters must post 500 runs each. He added that the team management would have to find ways to get the best out of the bowlers, as their bowling attack is not the best on paper.
“CSK will compete hard to finish among the top teams. I feel they are contenders. The two top order batters will have to score 500 runs each and find bowlers who can take wickets. I feel they will qualify. Their bowling is not strong, but they managed to find a bowler who did the job for them in the past,” he added.
He highlighted that other franchises are dealing with injury issues, which is an advantage of the Chennai Super Kings. Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc will miss matches in the 19th season.
“If CSK start on a good note before Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc join their teams, they will be in a good position as RCB and SRH will have to catch up. If they start slow and CSK hit the ground running, then they will be set for a good conclusion,” he concluded.
CSK finished last year, and the players will be eager to turn the fortunes around.