The leadership presence inside the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp has caught everyone’s attention ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026), starting on March 28 in Bengaluru. Ruturaj Gaikwad is currently the CSK captain, but the strong presence of MS Dhoni and rising stars has turned eyes towards the power presence inside the dressing room.
With the legendary wicketkeeper-batter and former captain MS Dhoni still playing and experienced leaders like Sanju Samson joining the squad, the leadership equation at the Chennai Super Kings camp is becoming one of the biggest talking points ahead of the upcoming IPL 2026.
At the same time, Ayush Mhatre is quickly emerging as CSK’s next big face. The youngster’s fearless batting performances and leadership background have already impressed the Chennai team management. With so many strong personalities and leaders in the camp, CSK’s dressing room now looks like a mix of the past, present, and future of the franchise.
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Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Leadership Era at CSK
Ruturaj Gaikwad took over the captaincy in 2024 when he was selected as the successor to Dhoni. The franchise showed strong belief in the Maharashtra opener and confirmed that he will continue as captain for the upcoming IPL 2026 season.
However, Gaikwad’s first two seasons as captain have not been that impressive. They finished the 2024 season in fifth place, narrowly missing the playoffs because of net run rate. In 2025, they had a terrible season, finishing 10th on the points table.
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It was the second consecutive season when CSK failed to make it to the playoffs, and that happened only for the first-ever time in IPL history. In the middle of that season, Gaikwad suffered a fractured arm, forcing Dhoni to return as captain for the remaining matches.
Despite his struggle as captain, Gaikwad scripted history in 2024. He became the first CSK captain to score an IPL century, smashing 108 runs against the Lucknow Super Giants. That knock broke Dhoni’s previous record of 84 runs, as Gaikwad recorded the highest individual score by a CSK skipper.
Interestingly, Ruturaj’s calm and composed style has often reminded many fans of the legendary Dhoni, but their tactics are slightly different. While Dhoni was famous for trusting his spinners in crucial moments, Gaikwad often turns to his pace attack when the team needs breakthroughs.
Why Does MS Dhoni’s Influence Still Loom Large?
Dhoni’s influence inside Chennai Super Kings remains huge even after handing over the captaincy to Gaikwad. The legendary wicketkeeper continues to guide the franchise as a senior figure and mentor. He still helps Gaikwad with field placements, bowling changes, and tactical calls in tough moments.
Even at the age of 44, the former Indian captain still performs strongly with the bat. He maintained a stunning strike rate of 220.54 in the 2024 season to prove that he remains one of the most dangerous finishers in IPL history. Well, Dhoni’s bond with CSK goes back to the very beginning.
He was the first player signed by the franchise in 2008 for a then-record $1.5 million. Over the years, Dhoni’s leadership built the famous “CSK culture” where they back their players during tough phases and maintain a calm dressing room environment. This brought massive success to the franchise.
Under his leadership, CSK won 5 IPL titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023) and 2 Champions League T20 titles, while reaching the playoffs 12 times in 14 seasons. Well, Dhoni’s influence is not limited to the field, as he remains strongly involved in team strategy and player planning.
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It is being said that Dhoni personally oversaw player trials for the upcoming IPL 2026. When it comes to commercial benefits, the former CSK captain remains the biggest pillar of the side. His presence reportedly added ₹100–150 crore to CSK’s brand value every season.
Sponsors like Myntra and Gulf Oil have been eager to stay connected with the “Thala” brand, while CSK’s matches in the league regularly crash the television viewership. Given that, Dhoni remains the big decision-maker inside the dressing room no matter if Gaikwad leads the team on the field.
Young Ayush Mhatre’s Growing Role in the CSK Setup
Ayush Mhatre is becoming the face of CSK’s future. The young batter was signed as an injury replacement in IPL 2025 when Gaikwad was injured. Ayush instantly caught everyone’s attention. He smashed 32 runs from just 15 balls in his debut against the Mumbai Indians.
Later in the 2025 season, Mhatre delivered a sensational knock of 94 runs from 48 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He finished the season with 240 runs at an incredible strike rate of 188.98 in just 7 innings. This led CSK to retain him for ₹30 lakh as an uncapped player for IPL 2026.
Mhatre’s rise is not just about batting, as the youngster already has leadership experience. In February 2026, he led India to the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup title. His calm decision-making during the final against Australia impressed one and all.
He has also captained Mumbai at different age-group levels. Even the young batter was often seen discussing tactics with Gaikwad and Dhoni during matches, especially about field placements and bowling strategies during the IPL 2025 season. CSK feels Ayush could become an important leader for the franchise in the future.
Can CSK maintain stability with multiple leaders and win IPL 2026?
The biggest question now is whether the Chennai Super Kings can handle a dressing room full of leaders and maintain unity. Currently, Gaikwad is the captain, while Dhoni remains the big guiding force. Samson also has the IPL captaincy experience, having led the Rajasthan Royals for several years, and Mhatre is already seen as a future leader.
This multi-leader setup can either become a strength or create confusion inside the dressing room, but one thing is clear: the upcoming IPL 2026 season will decide CSK’s future direction.
Apart from this, CSK’s bowling attack can be another headache for them. Nathan Ellis and Noor Ahmad will lead the attack that lacks the experienced depth of past seasons. The team also lost key all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran, which leaves a gap in the lower middle order.
However, playing at the spin-friendly Chepauk stadium with bowlers like Noor Ahmad and Rahul Chahar could still give them a major advantage. Additionally, CSK is planning a fresh batting structure for this season. The idea is to have Mhatre open the innings alongside Samson, while captain Gaikwad could move down to No. 3 in order to add more attacking intent at the top.
South Africa’s Dewald Brevis will also bring aggressive T20 firepower to the line-up. And then the franchise has also invested heavily in the young players like Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer, who were signed for ₹14.2 crore each and also strengthened their batting.
Notably, the Chennai Super Kings are all set to kick off their IPL 2026 campaign against the Rajasthan Royals on March 30 at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati.
