The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season is just a matter of days away, and experts and fans have already started building their ideal playing XI for each of the teams in the tournament. Former India opener and BCCI chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth revealed his preferred playing XI for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), a franchise with whom he has been closely associated in the past. However, in a bold move, Srikkanth left out CSK’s blockbuster Rs 14.20 crore buy Kartik Sharma from his playing XI.
Srikkanth chose to open with India’s T20 World Cup 2026-winning star Sanju Samson along with U19 World Cup 2026-winning captain Ayush Mhatre. At No. 3, Srikkanth put CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.
However, at No. 4, Srikkanth made an interesting call. The former India opener went with the explosive Urvil Patel, giving him the nod over the likes of Kartik Sharma and Sarfaraz Khan.
Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni formed the rest of Srikkanth’s middle order. He then picked 20-year-old all-rounder Prashant Veer, who was also bought by CSK for Rs 14.20 crore in the IPL 2026 mini auction.
Srikkanth picked New Zealand veteran Matt Henry and India’s Khaleel Ahmed as his starting pacers for CSK, snubbing Anshul Kamboj. Afghanistan spinner Noor Ahmad, who picked up 24 wickets in IPL 2025, led Srikkanth’s spin attack.
Interestingly, Srikkanth chose to bolster his spin attack further, choosing wrist-spinner Rahul Chahar as his ‘Impact Player’. Chahar was bought for Rs 5.2 crore by CSK in the most recent auction.
Srikkanth’s selection meant that his ideal CSK lineup featured only three overseas players, with the likes of Akeal Hosein, Zakary Foulkes and Matt Short on the bench.
Srikkanth’s CSK playing XI for IPL 2026: Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni, Prashant Veer, Noor Ahmad, Matt Henry, Khaleel Ahmed.
Impact Player: Rahul Chahar