Chennai Super Kings have started their pre-season preparations for IPL 2026 at the team's High Performance Centre in Navalur. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni joined the camp on March 1, alongside other Indian players, amid delays in the tournament schedule and travel disruptions from Middle East tensions.
The Chennai Super Kings initiated their pre-season camp on March 1, 2026, at the High Performance Centre in Navalur, Chennai. The session is being led by assistant coaches S. Sriram and Rajeev Kumar, with head coach Stephen Fleming and bowling coach Eric Simons scheduled to arrive by March 16.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and MS Dhoni arrived in the city on February 29 and were seen batting together in the nets on Sunday. Dhoni executed drives through the off-side, pull shots, and cut shots, while Gaikwad hit lofted shots towards mid-wicket. Other players present include Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel, Mukesh Choudhary, and Prashant Veer. The camp currently features only Indian players, with overseas recruits expected to join later in March.
Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube are set to arrive after the T20 World Cup concludes on March 7. CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed Dhoni's participation and noted that around 15 domestic players will initially report.
This preparation comes after a challenging 2025 season, where CSK finished last with four wins in 14 matches. Dhoni, retained as an uncapped player for Rs 4 crore, scored 196 runs at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of 135.17 that year. The team made significant changes ahead of the auction, trading Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran to Rajasthan Royals for Samson.
The IPL 2026 schedule remains unreleased, with BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia stating a decision will be taken within days. The tournament is likely to start on March 28, but escalating Middle East tensions, including airspace closures in UAE, Qatar, and other Gulf countries following US-Israel strikes on Iran, have raised concerns over overseas players' travel. The ICC has activated a Travel Support Desk to assist with alternative routes.
CSK's full squad for 2026 includes Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Jamie Overton, Nathan Ellis, Noor Ahmad, Shivam Dube, Shreyas Gopal, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Dewald Brevis, Sarfaraz Khan, and others acquired in the auction.
