At a time when Chennai is lacking experience, Khan, with 53 IPL matches, needs to do better than the rest of the batting line-up

When it comes to an experienced line-up, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are clearly missing the likes of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, as one is dealing with an injury and the other is no longer part of the team. Even though in recent years Dhoni has not done enough with the bat, he is still trusted to score a quick 15-20 runs towards the end of the innings.

However, in CSK’s first game, things went haywire from the batting unit as the likes of Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad failed to give the team an adequate start. But it is not on these players and the rest of the youngsters that the team should rely completely. In our opinion, it is Sarfaraz Khan who should lead the team, as batting experience is not on CSK’s side this season.

Why less focus on the rest?

First, let's clarify why Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad face limited pressure. As we are aware, an opening duo either gives a fiery start in the IPL or goes back to the dugout by giving away wickets early, and that was the case with the CSK’s opening duo in their first game. The plan did not work out, and next came Ayush Mahtre with only eight matches under his belt, whereas Matthew William Short has seven matches of experience. And Kartik Sharma? Well, he made his debut, so expectations from him aren’t high.

🚨 AARON FINCH ROASTED SANJU SAMSON 🚨

Ravi Shastri: "Sanju Samson just hit three back-to-back 50s in big T20 World Cup matches (WI, ENG, NZ). The man is in elite form!" 🇮🇳🔥

Aaron Finch: "Check the venues. Those were flat decks at Eden, Wankhede, and Ahmedabad. Today in… pic.twitter.com/HgXXnfo9TY

— Cricket Central (@CricketCentrl) March 30, 2026

Even expectations are lower for Shivam Dube at the moment, who is coming in late in the game with a limited number of balls to play, or at 51/5 in the first game when the entire game’s burden fell on him, and he failed to stick to the crease.

Khan to step up

Ravindra Jadeja is looking so angry at CSK. Man, just look at Jadeja's gun celebration towards Shivam Dube when he got his wicket!

It couldn't be a better revenge than this, a team thrown you out & now you have literally embarrassed them in very 1st game! pic.twitter.com/qIQqJBc3cA

— Rajiv (@Rajiv1841) March 30, 2026

On the other hand, Khan, coming in to bat at No. 5, has 53 IPL matches under his belt. However, if we look at Khan’s stats since 2015, he has had only one season with an average of 45, whereas in two seasons he has breached the 30 average. Khan has repeatedly done well in other domestic leagues, including a dominating performance in the 2025-26 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), where he scored 329 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 203.09 and an average of 65.80. For this reason, even though he went unsold in the mini auction, the Chennai Super Kings showed faith in his ability and added him to the team.

Khan is the pivot

🚨 SARFARAZ KHAN IN HIS LAST 10 INNINGS IN WHITE BALL [SMAT + VHT] .🚨

100(47)*
52(40)
7(9)*
28(15)
5(4)
64(25)
73(22)
8(5)*
55 (49)
157 (75)

Unreal Consistency by Sarfaraz with a very high Sr. 🔥

- Can Safaraz make his place in CSK playing X1.🤔pic.twitter.com/t11zhPZfn8

— Sam (@Cricsam01) January 2, 2026

At this juncture, Khan is the pivot of the game for Chennai when things go haywire at the top. And even if the top three players put on good numbers on the board, it is up to Khan to finish the game on a high note, along with Shivam Dube or Dhoni in case the 44-year-old decides to come in at No. 6 or 7. For years, there have been questions about Khan’s selection in the IPL or the national side, but his chance to play the hero is here. The 2026 IPL season could give his career a massive boost, but only if he repeats the theatrics of SMAT in the IPL. If not, we will not be surprised if he is benched.