The CSK Captain IPL 2026 is one of the most talked-about topics among fans as the new season approaches.
Leadership plays a crucial role in shaping the team’s performance, strategy, and dressing-room environment, making the captaincy decision vital for the franchise’s success.
With high expectations surrounding the Chennai Super Kings, supporters are eager to know who will take charge and guide the team in IPL 2026. CSK has won five titles under the captaincy of MS Dhoni and is in the title hunt under the leadership of Ruturaj Gaikwad.
In the previous edition, they finished at the bottom of the IPL 2025 points table and will be aiming to bounce back in the upcoming season.
Meanwhile, fans are also keen to check the IPL 2026 schedule to find out when Chennai Super Kings will play their first match of the season.
CSK Captain IPL 2026
Chennai Super Kings have decided to continue with Ruturaj Gaikwad as captain. Despite being sidelined for most of the games in the 2025 season due to injury, he is set to return as CSK captain for the IPL 2026 season.
With a lot of youngsters on board, Gaikwad will be opting for grooming the side, along with other experienced campaigners.
Check out the full list of CSK Captains in IPL History below:
- Rututraj Gaikwad: 2026
- MS Dhoni: 2025
- Ruturaj Gaikwad: 2024-2025 (19 matches)
- MS Dhoni: 2008-2023
- Suresh Raina: 2010-2019(6 Matches)
- Ravindra Jadeja – 2022-2022(8 Matches)
Chennai Super Kings Squad for IPL 2026
Explore the complete IPL 2026 CSK squad to see Chennai Super Kings’ full player list, key additions, and team combination for the upcoming season.
| Player | Role | Nationality | Retained Price |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad (c) | Batter | Indian | INR 18.00 Cr |
| Dewald Brevis | Batter | South African | INR 2.20 Cr |
| Ayush Mhatre | Batter | Indian | INR 0.30 Cr |
| MS Dhoni | Wk-Batter | Indian | INR 4.00 Cr |
| Urvil Patel | Wk-Batter | Indian | INR 0.30 Cr |
| Sanju Samson | Wk-Batter | Indian | INR 18.00 Cr (trade value) |
| Jamie Overton | All‑rounder | English | INR 1.50 Cr |
| Ramakrishna Ghosh | All‑rounder | Indian | INR 0.30 Cr |
| Shivam Dube | All‑rounder | Indian | INR 12.00 Cr |
| Khaleel Ahmed | Bowler | Indian | INR 4.80 Cr |
| Anshul Kamboj | Bowler | Indian | INR 3.40 Cr |
| Noor Ahmad | Bowler | Afghan | INR 10.00 Cr |
| Mukesh Choudhary | Bowler | Indian | INR 0.30 Cr |
| Nathan Ellis | Bowler | Australian | INR 2.00 Cr |
| Shreyas Gopal | Bowler | Indian | INR 0.30 Cr |
| Gurjapneet Singh | Bowler | Indian | INR 2.20 Cr |
| Kartik Sharma | Wk-Batter | India | INR 14.20 Cr |
| Prashant Veer | All-rounder | India | INR 14.20 Cr |
| Akeal Hosein | All-rounder | West Indies | INR 2 Cr |
| Matthew Short | All-rounder | Australia | INR 1.5 Cr |
| Aman Khan | All-rounder | India | INR 40 Lakh |
| Sarfaraz Khan | Batsman | India | INR 75 Lakh |
| Matt Henry | Fast Bowler | New Zealand | INR 2 Cr |
| Rahul Chahar | Leg-spin Bowler | India | INR 5.2 Cr |
| Zak Foulkes | Bowler | New Zealand | INR 75 Lakh |
IPL 2026
As per the IPL 2026 schedule, the first match will be played between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad on 28 March 2026 in M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League is set to be played between March 28 and May 31, 2026, in India. IPL teams will be categorised into two groups of five teams, where a total of 80 group matches will be played before the playoff round.
The IPL 2025 will follow a Group stage and Playoffs format, with the top four teams in the IPL 2026 points table advancing to the playoffs round.
Right before the tournament, as expected, the IPL 2026 withdrawal players list starts to fill, while the respective team will name the replacement players for the IPL 2026 season.
As a part of the season, BCCI has released the IPL 2026 squad, IPL 2026 live streaming, IPL 2026 ticket booking links, and IPL 2026 team jersey details right before the start of the tournament.
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