Guwahati, March 30 -- Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign opener against Rajasthan Royals will mark the first-time ever that the iconic Yellow franchise will take to the field without either of their two icons, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni.

CSK's IPL 2026 campaign opener will be start of a new era of sorts for CSK. The Ruturaj Gaikwad captained side, with wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson being another marquee name in the squad, will witness several exciting, young, explosive talents taking to the field. However, the squad will have neither Raina, who retired from all formats of cricket in 2022, nor Dhoni, who will miss the first two weeks of the ongoing season due to a calf strain.

The five-time IPL champion...