New heroes and new template emerge at Chepauk

At the toss in Chennai on Saturday, there was great anticipation for one name. Chennai Super Kings had missed Dewald Brevis in their first three games of IPL 2026. When captain Ruturaj Gaikwad confirmed the young South African's inclusion against Delhi Capitals, the crowd cheered.

Gaikwad also confirmed the inclusion of fast bowler Gurjapneet Singh. The left-arm pacer, bought ahead of the 2025 season, was making his IPL debut, replacing the experienced Matt Henry. Handed the ball immediately after the Powerplay, Gurjapneet took a wicket with his very first delivery. Axar Patel cut a short, wide ball straight to Sarfaraz Khan, who took a stunning catch.

Gurjapneet’s second ball was a bouncer that sailed for four byes. He then tested David Miller with hard-length deliveries. From the other end, Jamie Overton posed similar problems, dismissing the in-form Sameer Rizvi. Returning later, Overton clean bowled Miller with a pacy cross-seam delivery.

This was unfolding at Chepauk, a venue historically known for spin-friendly surfaces. CSK deployed a four-man pace attack, effectively five with Shivam Dube. While Anshul Kamboj and Khaleel Ahmed contributed, Overton and Gurjapneet consistently extracted bounce, troubling batters weak on the back foot. Overton finished with four wickets.

The duo bowled 48 deliveries combined. Twenty-five were back-of-a-length or short, yielding just 23 runs and two wickets. From a good length, they conceded 24 runs off 20 deliveries. They bowled only three fuller deliveries, sticking rigidly to their plan.

Head coach Stephen Fleming had noted the lack of a clear identity at Chepauk was a problem. "Over the last five or six years, the game and the ground have really changed. We're learning it's going to be a good wicket this year. You have to change your game plan and the type of players you pick, even the core group, if you are going to play on a hard and fast wicket," Fleming said.

CSK have expressed displeasure over home pitches before, but acceptance is key. They appear to realize the surface may not assist spin in the foreseeable future. Gurjapneet and Overton offer a new option, suggesting a potential new template for success at home.

The first half was equally refreshing. Sanju Samson, in his second home game for CSK, played a spectacular century—the first of this edition. Already a popular figure in the dressing room, Samson had started his CSK journey with three failures but found his groove emphatically.

Bowling coach Eric Simmons compared Samson’s calmness to MS Dhoni. "I've been privileged to spend many years with MS Dhoni. He's one of the calmest cricketers I've ever come across, and Sanju Samson's not far behind. He understands the game. I've seen no panic. There was never any doubt this was coming," Simmons said.

The five-time champions entered the fixture on six consecutive home losses. Chepauk was once a fortress; to return to those days, CSK must start winning at home. With the squad undergoing changes, new heroes need to step up. The immediate goal is to back this up against Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday.