Last updated: 14 April 2026
Chennai Super Kings IPL 2026 Betting Guide
Season opens 30 Mar · M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai · Captain: Ruturaj Gaikwad · Coach: Stephen Fleming
Rebuilding year Ellis out all season No matches played yet
IPL titles
5
Joint most (with MI)
2025 finish
10th
4W from 14, bottom
Key trade-in
Samson
T20 WC Player of Tournament
Opening combo
Confirmed
Gaikwad and Samson
Predicted XI IPL 2026
| # | Player | Role | Nat. | Batting strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruturaj Gaikwad (c) | Batter | IND | |
| 2 | Sanju Samson | WK-Bat | IND | |
| 3 | Ayush Mhatre | Batter | IND | |
| 4 | Dewald Brevis | Batter | SA | |
| 5 | Shivam Dube | All-rounder | IND | |
| 6 | Prashant Veer | All-rounder | IND | |
| 7 | MS Dhoni | WK-Bat | IND | |
| 8 | Noor Ahmad | Bowler | AFG | |
| 9 | Matt Henry | Bowler | NZ | |
| 10 | Khaleel Ahmed | Bowler | IND | |
| 11 | Jamie Overton | All-rounder | ENG |
Key squad changes for 2026
| Player | Status | Role | Betting relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanju Samson | Traded from RR | WK-Bat | T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament. Opens with Gaikwad. Instantly CSK’s most dangerous batting option and the clearest prop target in the squad. |
| Prashant Veer | Auction 14.2cr | All-rounder | Left-arm spin plus lower-order hitting. Direct replacement for Jadeja’s role. Joint-most expensive uncapped player in IPL history. Heavy pressure on an unproven player. |
| Kartik Sharma | Auction 14.2cr | WK-Bat | 19-year-old wicketkeeper touted as long-term Dhoni successor. Unlikely to feature immediately but his IPL debut is a story to watch mid-season. |
| Nathan Ellis | Out season-ending | Fast bowler | Hamstring injury. Was CSK’s primary death-bowling option. Spencer Johnson replaces him but is also injured and unavailable until ~Apr 21. |
| Ravindra Jadeja | Traded to RR | All-rounder | The face of CSK’s 2023 title leaves. Prashant Veer fills the role but is a completely different player in terms of experience and T20 pedigree. |
Phase 1 fixtures IPL 2026 (season not yet started)
| Date | Opponent | Venue | H/A | Betting note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 30 | Rajasthan Royals | Guwahati | Away | Season opener in Guwahati. Watch Samson vs his former club for the first time. Batting-friendly surface. CSK without Ellis or Johnson. RR’s top order could exploit the pace gap. |
| Apr 3 | Punjab Kings | Chennai | Home | Chepauk home debut. Noor Ahmad will thrive on this surface. CSK at Chepauk with a strong spin combination are a reliable backing proposition. Value if priced fairly. |
| Apr 5 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Bengaluru | Away | Defending champions at Chinnaswamy. Hazlewood absent early for RCB. Flat surface suits both sides. Good game to target runs markets rather than match winner. |
| Apr 11 | Delhi Capitals | Chennai | Home | Second home game. Chepauk’s spin helps CSK’s Noor Ahmad and Prashant Veer. DC without confirmed Duckett replacement. Back CSK at home here if spin conditions suit. |
Team department ratings heading into IPL 2026
| Department | Rating | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Top-order batting | Samson (T20 WC Player of Tournament) plus Gaikwad (returning fully fit after 2025 injury) is the most experienced top-order pairing CSK have fielded in years. Mhatre adds youth and aggression at three. This is CSK’s clear strength in 2026. | |
| Middle-order depth | Brevis is exciting but young and inconsistent. Dube is reliable but not a match-winner. Prashant Veer is unproven at this level. Dhoni’s finishing ability fades with age. CSK have no settled experienced anchor in the 4-7 range. | |
| Spin bowling | Noor Ahmad on Chepauk is devastating. Prashant Veer adds left-arm spin variety. Shreyas Gopal provides backup. On home pitches CSK’s spin attack is one of the tournament’s most dangerous. | |
| Pace bowling | Ellis out. Spencer Johnson not available until late April. Matt Henry is a powerplay specialist but expensive at the death. Khaleel Ahmed and Overton provide cover. CSK’s pace bowling is the thinnest it has been since 2020. | |
| Home advantage (Chepauk) | Chepauk is among the most spin-friendly venues in the IPL. CSK’s home record at Chepauk is one of the best in the competition historically. The surface negates their pace bowling weakness. | |
| Experience and franchise culture | Five IPL titles. The CSK culture of pressure performance is unmatched. Gaikwad is a calm and tactical leader. Dhoni’s presence, even if limited, has psychological value for younger players. |
Bull case for CSK in 2026
The Samson acquisition is transformative. A fully fit T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament opening alongside Gaikwad gives CSK a top order they have not had since their 2023 title-winning campaign. Chepauk with Noor Ahmad, Prashant Veer and the pitch conditions remains a fortress. If the young players like Brevis and Mhatre take their opportunities, CSK have enough to return to the playoffs from the bottom finish of 2025.
Core risk factors
CSK finished last in 2025 and this is still a squad in transition. The pace bowling without Ellis is genuinely concerning across away fixtures. Prashant Veer at 14.2cr is an enormous price for an unproven player who must fill Jadeja’s role from day one. The middle order has no reliable anchor between the top three and Dhoni. Away from Chepauk, particularly on pace-friendly surfaces, CSK will be vulnerable in the first half of the season.
Pace bowling crisis key betting alert
Nathan Ellis is out for the entire season with a hamstring injury. Spencer Johnson (replacement) is also recovering from a back injury and will not join the squad until approximately April 21-23, meaning he misses CSK’s first four matches. Matthew Short may also miss early games with a fractured thumb. CSK’s pace attack for the opening phase is Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed, Jamie Overton and potentially no quality fourth pacer. On pace-friendly surfaces away from Chepauk, CSK’s bowling will be heavily exposed in April.
Historical record context for pre-season assessment
| Season | Finish | W-L | Win % | Key betting insight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Champions | 8-6 (league) | 57% | Won title with Jadeja as a key all-round contributor. Strong home form throughout. |
| 2024 | 5th (no playoffs) | 7-7 | 50% | Gaikwad injury disrupted campaign. Mid-table finish after promising start. |
| 2025 | 10th (bottom) | 4-10 | 29% | Worst finish in franchise history. Clear fade opportunity in second half once the rot set in. |
Core betting angles for IPL 2026
Back CSK at Chepauk
Chepauk is CSK’s home and one of the most spin-friendly venues in the tournament. Noor Ahmad’s slow left-arm wrist spin on this surface is devastating. CSK home games are the clearest backing angle of their season.
✔ Back: CSK match winner at Chepauk home games
Samson runs markets throughout
Sanju Samson is the best batting prop in CSK’s squad by a clear margin. T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament, in peak form, and with the freedom to play his natural game as an opener. Top CSK batter and 50-plus markets are season-long plays.
✔ Back: Samson top CSK batter, 50-plus runs across all conditions
Fade CSK away on pace tracks early season
Without Ellis or Johnson, CSK’s pace attack is the weakest in the competition in the first four matches. On seam-friendly away surfaces, any market pricing CSK as favourites is overvalued. Markets may overprice them on five-title reputation.
✗ Fade: CSK away on pace tracks in Phase 1 (Apr 1 to ~21)
Noor Ahmad on turning pitches
Noor Ahmad is one of the most dangerous spinners in T20 cricket on pitches that offer turn. Chepauk games are his prime opportunity, but any slow surface away from home also activates his wicket-taking prop. Back him heavily at Chennai.
✔ Back: Noor Ahmad 2-plus wickets on spin tracks
Johnson return as a line-mover
When Spencer Johnson joins around April 21-23, CSK’s pace attack is materially strengthened. His first match back creates a pricing opportunity. Track his fitness updates. The match immediately after he joins is when CSK bowling markets shift.
✔ Watch: CSK bowling markets once Johnson is confirmed available
In-play: lay if top three fail early
CSK’s middle order remains thin and Dhoni is no longer a consistent performer. If Samson, Gaikwad and Mhatre all fail cheaply in the same innings, CSK’s batting collapses quickly. The in-play lay after 3 early CSK wickets is a reliable signal.
✗ In-play lay: CSK batting after top 3 all out inside 8 overs
Scenario risk matrix
| Scenario | CSK outlook | Bettor edge | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home at Chepauk, spin conditions | Strong | Positive | Back CSK; Noor Ahmad thrives here |
| Away on pace surface, Ellis/Johnson absent | Weak | Negative | Fade CSK; bowling not strong enough |
| Samson in form, Gaikwad bat first | Good | Positive | Back CSK; top order alone can win games |
| Top 3 fail, Dhoni exposed early | Low | Negative | In-play lay; middle order too thin |
| Post-Johnson return, home game | Strong | Positive | Back CSK; full-strength unit in home conditions |
Players to back
Sanju Samson
Opening WK-Bat · No.1 or No.2
T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament, in peak form, and now opening for CSK with the freedom to dominate the powerplay. CSK’s clear number one batting prop. Back him in top CSK batter markets throughout the season regardless of conditions. His floor is high and ceiling is exceptional.
✔ Back: top CSK batter, 50-plus runs, most runs in match
Noor Ahmad
Spin bowler · Left-arm wrist spin
CSK’s most reliable wicket-taking bowler, especially at Chepauk. His slow left-arm wrist spin troubles both left and right-handers on pitches that assist spin. Back him heavily in 2-plus wickets markets for all Chepauk home games. Away from Chennai, assess the surface before committing.
✔ Back: 2-plus wickets at Chepauk, top CSK bowler on spin tracks
Ruturaj Gaikwad
Captain · Opening batter
Returns fully fit after missing most of IPL 2025 with an elbow injury. Gaikwad is one of the most consistent IPL openers of the modern era. Confirmed to open alongside Samson. Top CSK batter markets when Samson is rested or absent and as a general accumulator prop throughout the season.
✔ Back: top CSK batter (especially when Samson absent), runs markets
Ayush Mhatre
No.3 batter · Young gun
Scored 240 runs at SR 188.97 in 7 innings as an emergency opener in 2025. Recently captained India U19 to World Cup victory. Now batting at three with a defined role. His ceiling-based markets (top CSK batter, 50-plus on batting pitches) offer strong upside, though his variance is high for lower-priced consistent props.
✔ Back: top CSK batter prop on batting-friendly flat pitches
Players to approach with caution
Prashant Veer
All-rounder · Jadeja replacement at 14.2cr
The most expensive uncapped player in IPL history. Bought to fill Jadeja’s all-round role. At 14.2cr, markets may price his props as if he is a proven IPL match-winner. He is not. He has not played at this level before and the pressure of an astronomical price tag in a big franchise adds to the risk. Avoid his individual prop markets until he establishes himself.
✗ Fade early-season: Veer individual wickets and runs prop markets
MS Dhoni
WK-Bat · Impact Player/finisher
CSK have confirmed they plan to use Dhoni primarily as an Impact Player rather than in the starting XI. At 44, his batting is situational and role-dependent. His T20 finishing ability at this stage of his career is diminished from his peak. Target his prop markets only in very specific late-innings chasing situations at short odds. General Dhoni batting props are poor value.
⚠ Caution: Dhoni batting props situational only, not general season plays
In-season update: 14 April 2026
Current form: 1W-3L, 2 pts (9th, NRR -1.532)
CSK’s slow start has confirmed the pre-season concerns. They lost their first three games before Samson and Jamie Overton starred in a win over Delhi Capitals on April 11. Samson started poorly (scores of 6, 7 and 9 in his first three matches despite his T20 World Cup heroics), though he then played a key role against DC. MS Dhoni has missed recent matches with a calf injury and is expected to sit out further games. Dewald Brevis missed the opening three matches with a side strain before returning on April 11. Spencer Johnson is still not in the squad and not expected until around April 21-23. CSK’s NRR of -1.532 is the worst in the competition. The pre-season advice to fade them away from Chepauk has been validated entirely in Phase 1.
