Chennai Super Kings Lock Their Openers Ahead of IPL After Practice Match

Chennai Super Kings played their first-ever practice match before the IPL begins. There were speculations on who could be the opener for the team in the upcoming season, but some questions have now been answered. Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad stepped out to open for the team in the practice match.

Several teams are having practice matches, where fans could witness the action before the tournament begins. And the same even happened for the Chennai Super Kings, as the team played its first-ever practice match on 23 March. There were questions on who could be the opener for the team in the upcoming season.

In the last edition, Chennai Super Kings faced some issues with their batting line-up. With their key batters injured, the team even had to go with Shaik Rasheed and Ayush Mhatre as the openers. Now, Ruturaj Gaikwad is fit and available for the next season, and the team also signed Sanju Samson in a trade deal.

With so many players ready for the opener role, the team had to make a choice. And they have reportedly done the same in the practice match. CSK put down Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad as the openers of the team in its practice game. The frame was even captured on camera and has gone viral all over the internet.

Our Take

With Chennai Super Kings having Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad as the openers, it comes as a good decision for the team. Both players are experienced in the opening position in the IPL, which could help the team to get a good start. Eventually, they would be going on with batters such as Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, and Sarfaraz Khan.

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been doing well in the IPL lately, and has also won the Orange Cap once. On the other hand, Sanju Samson is making his return to the IPL in solid form. He recently won the Player of the Series award for the Indian team in the T20 World Cup 2026.