IPL 2026: Super Kings will be eager to recapture old glory

Chennai Super Kings aim to reclaim their IPL glory in 2026, bolstered by new talent despite bowling concerns.

‘When you are at the bottom, the only way forward is up.’ It could well be Chennai Super Kings’ mantra for the 2026 season. The five-time champion slipped into an abyss last year, when it won just four games and had the ignominy of being handed the wooden spoon for the first time in its history.

The major problem was that it lacked the batting firepower to keep pace with its rivals, who had all pushed the game forward through their fearless approach to posting imposing totals.

Midway through the campaign, CSK course-corrected by drafting in promising youngsters like Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, and Urvil Patel as injury replacements, who now form a formidable core.

A more definitive indication of that shift came during the off-season, when it pulled off one of the biggest deals by signing Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals.

In the mini-auction, Super Kings, armed with a hefty purse, further splurged on two young uncapped Indian players, Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma, known for their power-hitting.

If the pitch at Chepauk resembles the featherbeds that were dished out during the recent T20 World Cup, expect some mammoth totals from the Yellow Brigade.