Aakash Chopra has revealed his take on Chennai Super Kings’ probable XI for IPL 2026, highlighting surprising overseas picks and predicting standout performers, while questioning the team’s overall strength on paper.
Former India batter Aakash Chopra has named his probable Chennai Super Kings (CSK) playing XI for the 2026 Indian Premier League, opting for only three overseas players in his lineup. Chopra included Dewald Brevis, Noor Ahmad and Matt Henry, while predicting Sanju Samson and Noor Ahmad to emerge as CSK’s leading run-scorer and wicket-taker respectively.
Chopra’s selection comes after CSK retained 15 players ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, traded in Samson before last year’s mini-auction, and later completed their 25-member squad with nine new signings. In his analysis, Aakash Chopra placed Ayush Mhatre and Samson as openers, followed by Ruturaj Gaikwad at No. 3 and Brevis at No. 4. He emphasized Brevis’ importance, noting that the team would rely heavily on the South African youngster.
“Dewald Brevis is brilliant. This team will depend a lot on him,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel. He slotted Shivam Dube next, with Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer as middle-order options, before MS Dhoni at No. 8. Chopra suggested Dhoni could still play a strategic role despite his lower batting position.
Bowling choices and impact players
For the bowling attack, Chopra picked Khaleel Ahmed alongside Noor Ahmad and Matt Henry as the three frontline bowlers. He also highlighted the importance of impact players, naming Rahul Chahar, Shreyas Gopal and Ramakrishna Ghosh as potential options. “Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed and Matt Henry – that makes it your three bowlers. The impact player you have to use, you can keep Rahul Chahar and Shreyas Gopal there. Ramakrishna Ghosh is in good form,” he explained.
Aakash Chopra’s full XI featured: Ayush Mhatre, Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, MS Dhoni, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed and Matt Henry. He tipped Samson to challenge for the Orange Cap, while backing Noor Ahmad to lead the wicket charts if given consistent opportunities.
Despite identifying key performers, Chopra expressed doubts about CSK’s overall strength. He admitted the squad looked solid but not intimidating compared to past CSK sides. “When you look at this team only on paper, one doesn’t feel too confident that it is a team that would destroy. They can still do well because they are the Chennai Super Kings. However, on paper, they look like a decent team. They don’t look like an unbeatable team, but then cricket is not played on paper,” he observed.
Aakash Chopra stressed that CSK’s success would hinge on their top five batters batting deep into innings, with Dhoni used tactically. He also pointed out that Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy would be tested, particularly in managing bowling resources.