In one of the biggest news ahead of the start of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be without their talisman and former skipper, MS Dhoni, for at least the first two weeks of the season. 

The absence of Dhoni leaves a huge void to fill for CSK as they need to find a replacement for not only a hard-hitting lower-order batter but also a wicketkeeper. The latter should not be much of a problem following the signing of Sanju Samson as part of a trade deal from Rajasthan Royals. Despite missing their superstar player, it now opens up an opportunity for other players to fill in the void and showcase their talents in front of the watching world before Dhoni returns to the CSK setup.

Here are the three players who can get chance in MS Dhoni's absence: 3. Karik Sharma Kartik Sharma. (Photo source: Instagram/Kartik Sharma)

Kartik Sharma comes into the 2026 IPL season with a whole lot of expectations on his shoulders. The Rajasthan youngster was bought for an eye-opening INR 14.20 crore in the most recent mini auction. With Dhoni now unavailable for the first few games, Kartik can find a place in the CSK middle order.

The 19-year-old played five times in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he scored at a strike-rate of 160.24. He is also an adequate wicketkeeper and could be trusted with the gloves should the five-time champions decide to keep Samson as an outfield player, where he is an equally good fielder. Kartik, however, is a middle-order batter and might not be a like-for-like replacement for Dhoni, who is a finisher. 

2. Urvil Patel  Urvil Patel (Source: CSK/Instagram)

Urvil Patel is yet another young wicketkeeper-batter in the CSK ranks who would be looking to take the spot left vacant by Dhoni.

Unlike Kartik Sharma, however, Urvil has IPL experience, having played three games for CSK last season.

Despite scoring just 68 runs all season long, he scored those runs at a strike-rate of 212.50. His best innings last time around came against Gujarat Titans, where he came in at number three to score 37 from just 19 balls.

1. Sarfaraz Khan  Sarfaraz Khan (Source: Tanuj Pandey/UPCA)

Sarfaraz Khan has not played in the IPL since representing Delhi Capitals back in 2023.

The India Test batter was picked up by CSK in the mini auction for his base price of INR 75 lakhs. Dhoni’s absence in the team would be the opening Sarfaraz needed to showcase his talent in the IPL following some excellent performances in the domestic circuit. He recently scored a hundred in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and a double hundred in the Ranji Trophy.

The 28-year-old’s form in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy was also very good. He scored 329 runs for Mumbai from just seven games at an astonishing average of 65.80 whilst striking at a whopping 203.08.

He scored three half centuries and a century in the tournament, hitting an unbeaten 100 off 47 balls against Assam.