CSK enjoying XI with out MS Dhoni: Will Sarfaraz Khan get an opportunity to play IPL 2026 in Thala’s absence? – Inside Sport India

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had to look beyond MS Dhoni. Sometime or another, they had to. Unfortunately for the fans, that time has started in an unintentional fashion. While Dhoni gave up on captaincy on the eve of the IPL 2024 season, his IPL late career has hit a massive roadblock on the day when the new IPL 2026 season starts. Dhoni, who was supposed to play almost all the games for CSK this season, will miss two weeks of action due to a calf strain.

This means there’s a place to be taken two days before CSK’s opening clash against the Rajasthan Royals. Only five times in CSK’s 16 years of history has Dhoni missed an IPL game. Three of those came back in 2010 when Dhoni sat out due to an elbow injury. Other two were in the 2019 season. Now, the IPL 2026 has thrown a curveball at the Super Kings. With CSK readying to face RR in Guwahati on March 30, we take a look at how the five-time champions could line up.

Thankfully Samson is there for CSK

Last year, CSK were the worst-performing side in the powerplays. Both batting and bowling. They have found a blessing in disguise as they will now include Matt Henry in the lineup, while Akel Hosein is also a powerplay bowler.

Now, with the bat, CSK have struck gold in the form of Sanju Samson. The Kerala wicket-keeper was traded from RR and he will open the innings alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad as confirmed by the captain. With this, CSK have an able keeper in the form of Samson. He kept wickets for India at the T20 World Cup 2026 as well, a tournament that saw Samson in the peak of his powers. His knock of 97*, 89 and 89 literally won India their third title.

Due to this, CSK might have to play either youngster Ayush Mhatre or Urvil Patel at number three. Mhatre recently captained India to an Under-19 World Cup win, while Patel impressed last season too. Patel is also a keeper by trait but Samson will obviously don the gloves in the absence of Dhoni.

Will Sarfaraz Khan get a chance in Dhoni’s absence?

Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis and Prashant Veer are expected to slot in and frame the middle-order. Veer, signed as a possible replacement of Ravindra Jadeja, will turn up against the yellow army on March 30 himself.

Now, the biggest question comes in. Who will play in place of Dhoni? Ideally, Dhoni would’ve perfectly fit into this team, as his main goal is to play the last three overs of an innings. Nobody can handle pressure like Thala does. That is why Dhoni’s strike rate in the last three overs of an innings stands at 208.5 (since 2023).

Now, there is no like-for-like replacement for Thala in the CSK roster. There can never be. However, in this situation of desperation, Chennai need to find someone. Someone who can spark fire in a matter of few balls. For that, CSK paid a hefty amount of INR 14.2 crore for Kartik Sharma.

The raw talent is certainly there. Known as a serial six-hitter, the player from Rajasthan hit the most sixes at 2024/25 Vijay Hazare Trophy and had a strike rate of 160.24 in the recent SMAT. Putting him straight into the lineup to fill Dhoni’s shoes could be massive and risky. He can float or sink…nothing in between.

Another option for CSK is Sarfaraz Khan. Irrespective of the format, Sarfaraz has been making potent runs in domestic cricket. His tally of 329 runs at 65.80 and SR 203.09 were something incredible in SMAT. However, he batted higher up the order for Mumbai. But remember, Sarfaraz made his name while batting at nos. 6 and 7 as a 17-year-old. At that age, he used to ramp pacers for fun. Since then, his range of shots has only widened.

Sarfaraz is an adept player of both spin and pace. While there’s a certain risk involved in slotting both Kartik and Veer in lower down the order, Sarfaraz would bring some experience. He also has a point to prove. If CSK want to try how their heftiest investment in an uncapped player goes, Kartik is the option. Otherwise, Sarfaraz Khan makes more stable sense.

CSK’s Playing XII without MS Dhoni