New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has picked his strongest playing XI with Impact Player options for the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after their stalwart MS Dhoni was subsequently ruled out for the first two weeks of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, which will commence on Saturday.

“MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026,” the franchise said in a statement.

Ashwin has gone with Sanju Samson as the wicketkeeper, and he will also open the innings with skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.

The former CSK player has put three attacking batters in the next three spots, which include Urvil Patel at No. 3, batter Dewald Brevis at number four, followed by India’s T20 World Cup 2026 all-rounder Shivam Dube at number five.

Ashwin has given two options for the number six position. His first choice is Sarfaraz Khan, while the other is India’s U19 World Cup champion captain Ayush Mhatre. Former Indian spinner has ignored Prashant Veer and has selected Kartik Sharma for the number 7 spot.

In the bowling department, he has selected Akeal Hosein and Noor Ahmad as the main spinners, with Hosein also capable of contributing with the bat at number eight.

For the pace attack, Jaffer has gone with Matt Henry and Khaleel Ahmed.

Ashwin has provided four options for the Impact Player, which include Anshul Kamboj, Shreyas Gopal, Ramakrishna Ghosh, and Rahul Chahar.

CSK head into the new season after a disappointing 2025 campaign, where they finished at the bottom of the table, the worst result in the franchise’s history. Known for their consistency and strong performances over the years, the team’s poor showing came as a surprise to fans.

Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals on March 30 at Baraspara Stadium in Guwahati.

Ashwin’s CSK playing XI:

Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Sarfaraz Khan/Ayush Mhatre, Kartik Sharma, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed

Impact Player: Anshul Kamboj/Shreyas Gopal/Ramakrishna Ghosh/Rahul Chahar.

–IANS

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