After the most difficult season in their IPL history a last-place finish that left fans and franchise alike searching for answers Chennai Super Kings arrive at IPL 2026 with a rebuilt squad, renewed hunger, and a schedule that wastes no time testing their mettle. The five-time champions, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, play their first match on March 30 and have a 14-game league phase that will take them from Guwahati to Hyderabad to Lucknow before the final home farewell at Chepauk.
The Squad
The most headline-grabbing addition is T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Tournament, Sanju Samson, who joins from Rajasthan Royals via a high-profile trade. Alongside Samson and the irreplaceable MS Dhoni, CSK will lean on Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, and Noor Ahmad. The pace department features Matt Henry, Jamie Overton, Khaleel Ahmed, Spencer Johnson, Anshul Kamboj, and Mukesh Choudhary, with Shreyas Gopal and Rahul Chahar handling spin duties.
The Full Schedule
CSK open their campaign on March 30 in Guwahati against Rajasthan Royals the very franchise from which Samson was traded in a fixture that carries more than sporting significance. Their first home game at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai follows on April 3 against Punjab Kings, signalling an early homecoming for the Yellow Army.
The schedule spans home and away across the country: after two away fixtures early in the campaign (Guwahati on March 30 and Bengaluru on April 5 against RCB), CSK return to Chepauk for a clutch of home games in April. A challenging mid-season stretch takes them to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Lucknow before their final two league home matches in May against Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans.
The full fixture list is as follows — all matches at 7:30 PM IST unless noted:
Match 3 — March 30 (Mon): CSK vs Rajasthan Royals, Guwahati
Match 7 — April 3 (Fri): CSK vs Punjab Kings, Chennai
Match 11 — April 5 (Sun): CSK vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Bengaluru
Match 18 — April 11 (Sat): CSK vs Delhi Capitals, Chennai
Match 22 — April 14 (Tue): CSK vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai
Match 27 — April 18 (Sat): CSK vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Hyderabad
Match 33 — April 23 (Thu): CSK vs Mumbai Indians, Mumbai
Match 37 — April 26 (Sun): CSK vs Gujarat Titans, Ahmedabad (3:30 PM IST)
Match 44 — May 2 (Sat): CSK vs Mumbai Indians, Chennai
Match 48 — May 5 (Tue): CSK vs Delhi Capitals, Delhi
Match 53 — May 10 (Sun): CSK vs Lucknow Super Giants, Chennai (3:30 PM IST)
Match 59 — May 15 (Fri): CSK vs Lucknow Super Giants, Lucknow
Match 63 — May 18 (Mon): CSK vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai
Match 66 — May 21 (Thu): CSK vs Gujarat Titans, Chennai
The Context
CSK are the IPL’s most decorated franchise and second most successful in terms of final appearances, but IPL 2025 will haunt them until they make amends. Finishing at the bottom winning only four of 14 games was unprecedented for a team that had made the final for the majority of their seasons. The front office responded decisively at the auction: Samson’s arrival signals ambition; the retention of Dhoni signals continuity; and a squad built around all-round depth signals a plan.
The schedule is balanced enough to allow a strong start and peaks with a month of crucial matches from mid-April onwards. The two fixtures against Mumbai Indians once the tournament’s defining rivalry will tell a great deal about where CSK truly stand in the new IPL order.
-Samuthiran
