The Chennai Super Kings camp has ignited early excitement for IPL 2026, with MS Dhoni leading the charge alongside captain Ruturaj Gaikwad during Sunday’s inaugural practice in Chennai. This five-time IPL powerhouse kicked off proceedings at their state-of-the-art high-performance facility, prioritizing Indian players amid international scheduling hurdles.
Key attendees included Ayush Mhatre, Mukesh Choudhary, Rahul Chahar, Urvil Patel, Ramkrishna Ghosh, and Sarfaraz Khan, all putting in the hard yards. Social media clips revealed Dhoni’s timeless focus in the nets, with Gaikwad matching stride for stride nearby. Fresh acquisitions Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma wasted no time, diving into specialized drills.
Sarfaraz’s keen watch on Dhoni’s session underscored the mentorship vibe, as Gaikwad showcased fluent strokeplay. The camp’s initial leg emphasizes domestic talent, buying time for national call-ups. T20 World Cup warriors Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube eye a March 7 arrival, while Shreyas Gopal follows his Ranji exploits.
Coaching duties rest with assistants Sridharan Sriram and Rajiv Kumar, and conditioning expert Greg King. Foreign reinforcements are pending. CSK also debuted their sleek new jerseys, heightening fan fervor. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East cast shadows over travel plans, delaying fixture confirmations.
Nevertheless, the squad’s depth shines: Ruturaj Gaikwad captains a lineup featuring Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Matt Short, Sanju Samson, the evergreen MS Dhoni, Urvil Patel, Kartik, Shivam Dube, Jack Edwards, Ramkrishna Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Jamie Overton, Akil Hussain, Aman Khan, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Rahul Chahar, Khaleel Ahmad, Nathan Ellis, Matt Henry, Gurjapneet Singh, Anshul Kamboj, and Mukesh Choudhary. As training ramps up, CSK eyes reclaiming glory.