Bradman-esque AVG, Richards-Like SR: TNPL Opener Who Can Rescue CSK In IPL 2026

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Tushar Raheja in TNPL, Ayush Mhatre in IPL [Source: @Dheena__Jagan / x.com, AP Photos]Tushar Raheja in TNPL, Ayush Mhatre in IPL [Source: @Dheena__Jagan / x.com, AP Photos]

Indian Premier League is considered a platform for undiscovered talents to come and showcase their brilliance to the world. Over the years, the tournament has given some great talents to Indian cricket, who have served the nation very well and earned them lots of accolades.

Talking about discovering talents and giving them the platform to express themselves, one IPL franchise comes to mind - Chennai Super Kings. Over the years, the CSK have provided not only new players to make a mark in the big stage but also forgotten veterans to make a comeback in the limelight.

CSK's IPL 2025 Nightmare And Biggest Concern

The Super Kings suffered their worst campaign in IPL 2025. They managed to win only four of their 14 games in the league stage and finished at the bottom-most position in the points table.

There were lots of problems with CSK's style of play during the tournament. However, the most glaring concern was the lack of initiative and intent at the start of their batting innings. Mostly the CSK top order failed to maintain a competitive scoring rate as per modern standards, and they also lost too many wickets at the beginning to have any kind of foundation.

Talking about spotting talents, the local state T20 Leagues often provide some new players that the IPL franchises can make the most use of in the tournament. One such league is the TNPL, the local T20 league of Tamil Nadu. The Chennai Super Kings are the franchise that represents the state and they can pick up talents from the league. 

Can Tushar Raheja Solve The Problems Of CSK Batting?

Tushar Raheja is a left-handed opening batter for the Idream Tiruppur Tamizhans. In four matches (so far), the opening batter has scored 298 runs at an average of 99.33 and a strike rate of 204.11.

Tushar Raheja in action during the TNPL 2025 [Source: @peri_periasamy/x.com]Tushar Raheja in action during the TNPL 2025 [Source: @peri_periasamy/x.com]

The score in these games for the batter was - 79 (43), 65(39)*, 74 (28), 80(36). It shows that he has not only shown consistency but has also scored runs. Given the problem that CSK had during IPL 2025, it could be that Tushar Raheja is exactly the man they need. 

In the latest edition of IPL, we saw that before the arrival of Ayush Mhatre, CSK were struggling to get the scoring rate high enough to challenge the opponent. Even with Mhatre, the scoring rate from the opposite end was a concern for the team. So, the presence of Raheja might allow the Super Kings to have an aggressive approach from both ends and get the scoring rate up to the modern T20 levels. 

If eventually, Raheja comes to the auction and is bought by the Super Kings, here is how the ideal playing XI can look for them. 

CSK Ideal Playing 12 Of IPL 2026 With Tushar Raheja In The Squad

Tushar Raheja
Ayush Mhatre
Ruturaj Gaikwad (c)
Urvil Patel
Ravindra Jadeja
Dewald Brevis ✈️
Shivam Dube
MS Dhoni (wk)
Anshul Kamboj
Matheesha Pathirana ✈️
Noor Ahmad ✈️
Khaleel Ahmed/ Or an overseas bowling option

CSK's IPL 2026 Strategy: A look at the XI gives us the idea that the top four would be fixed for the team as they could lay an aggressive foundation. Depending on the situation of the game - Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube and Dewald Brevis could act as the floaters with MS Dhoni doing his finishing duties. This XI provides the captain with depth, flexibility and dynamism to work with.