Ravichandran Ashwin, a former CSK cricketer, has predicted who may be the top batter for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2026. Despite Sanju Samson’s recent outstanding play, he chose captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.
In seven games at the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025–2026, Gaikwad amassed 413 runs at a remarkable average of 82.60, including two hundreds and a fifty. His goal is to maintain that form during the 2026 Indian Premier League. He only played in five games the previous season before being sidelined by injury, but this time he hopes to play the entire tournament and guide his club to the postseason.
“Best batter – Ruturaj. I think he will bat at three. His role will be to play till the end. I feel he will look to anchor and the others will keep hitting around him. That is why I think he could get the volume of runs,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
Ashwin explained that the Chennai Super Kings would most certainly attempt to remain competitive and may even be serious contenders of making it to the postseason. He thought that to make a better chance, two of the three of their best hitters would have to get 500 each. The team must find a way of maximizing their bowling strike which may not be the most potent on the surface, he said.
“CSK will compete very hard to be at three or four. I feel they are a part of three, four, five and six contenders. If their top three or two at least score 500 runs each, and they find bowlers to execute plans and get their top two firing, I definitely feel they will get through. The bowling might not look strong, but in the past, they have found bowlers to do the job. I feel they are in contention,” Ashwin said.
He added that in the event that Chennai Super Kings starts the season well, they might be at an advantage especially since some of the other teams are grappling with injuries. The star names such as Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Pat Cummins among others are likely to miss the first games of IPL 2026, and this will be a disaster to their own teams.
“If CSK start well, then before guys like Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood come, you will feel RCB and SRH are having to catch up. If they start slow, and you hit the ground running as CSK, then you are set for a very good finish,” said Ashwin.
