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Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble has encouraged the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad to step up and open the innings for his side.

The Indian spin legend has advised Gaikwad to open with the bat as it will help the team in terms of stability from the start.

Anil Kumble Names CSK’s Ideal Opener to Ignite IPL 2026

Anil Kumble is advocating for captain Ruturaj Gaikwad to open the innings for the Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming IPL 2026 season. The former Indian cricketer backed up Gaikwad's leadership and also highlighted that having him in the top order would bring the stability the team would need.

While CSK has solid opening options like Sanju Samson and the recently traded Ayush Mhatre, Kumble wants Ruturaj Gaikwad to be at the forefront with the bat for the Chennai Super Kings.  

"It's great to see Ruturaj Gaikwad back as captain of the Chennai Super Kings after his injury last season. My clear advice to him is to open the batting himself.

"While they have Sanju Samson and the promising Ayush Mhatre, Ruturaj is best suited as an opener for CSK. His leadership and batting at the top will provide the stability the team needs," Anil Kumble said on JioStar's IPL Retention Show.

The former Indian spinner further added that the team needs to develop their batting core around captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Dewald Brevis.

CSK Yet To Have A Stable Bowling Unit For IPL 2026 

The Chennai Super Kings have secured a settled batting unit for the upcoming season. But the bowling unit is where the genuine concern lies. Following the release of Matheesha Pathirana, the franchise lacks a proper bowling option.

Anil Kumble claimed that the team needs a proper Indian spin-bowling option to fill Ravindra Jadeja's void. He added that apart from having Nathan Ellis and wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad, it also requires an overseas fast-bowling option to have a stable bowling attack.

Chennai Super Kings currently possess an INR 43.4 crore purse value, which is the second-largest among the remaining IPL teams. It will allow them to engage in bidding wars as they look to fill up the nine slots (including four overseas) in the upcoming auction.

The mini auction for the IPL 2026 season is scheduled to take place on December 16 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE.