Dewald Brevis to miss CSK’s opening game — Kartik Sharma could be fast-tracked into playing XI
On the eve of Chennai Super Kings’ opening match in Guwahati, Dewald Brevis will miss the fixture after being ruled out with a side strain, and with MS Dhoni set to be absent for the first two weeks, kartik sharma and Prashant Veer have emerged as immediate options for IPL debuts.
What happened on the eve of the Guwahati match?
CSK coach Stephen Fleming confirmed that Dewald Brevis will miss the opening match against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on March 30. “He is rehabbing and hopefully won’t be for too long, ” Fleming said. Brevis’ absence compounds a stretched squad: fast bowler Nathan Ellis has been ruled out of the entire season with injury, MS Dhoni is likely to miss the first two weeks because of a calf strain, and the team is awaiting Spencer Johnson, who is set to join the squad around April 21-23 while he continues his own recovery.
Kartik Sharma: Could he make his IPL debut for CSK?
With both Dhoni and Brevis unavailable for the start of the tournament, CSK have named two players bought in December — kartik sharma and Prashant Veer, each acquired for INR 14. 2 crore — as immediate candidates to fill the gaps. The franchise retained depth in the middle order by bringing in Australia allrounder Matt Short on March 22 as one batting option, but the auction signings now represent a direct financial and selection stake the club can activate early in the season.
Who else can replace Brevis’ role in the middle order?
Brevis had arrived at the franchise as a replacement player the previous season and made a striking impact: 225 runs in six innings, 17 sixes in 125 balls and a strike rate of 180. In his absence, Matt Short is available to slot into the middle order, while the combination of Ruturaj Gaikwad opening with Sanju Samson leaves Sarfaraz Khan and Urvil Patel as other options at No. 3 or lower. The coaching staff must balance immediate match needs with the long-term plan to rebuild after finishing bottom of the table with just four wins in 2025.
What do senior figures say about the opportunity?
Senior voices have framed the absences as a test for selection and succession. Ruturaj Gaikwad confirmed that he will open alongside Sanju Samson. Veteran commentator Sunil Gavaskar said that an extended absence for Dhoni could provide CSK a chance to work out an XI without him: “At some stage, they have to figure out their XI without him. ” Former pacer Dale Steyn described the situation as an opportunity to evaluate the franchise’s future composition: “It allows them to look at what the future of Chennai Super Kings will look like. ” MS Dhoni himself acknowledged the physical limits he is managing: “My fitness is on the way down, not the way up, ” a comment he made during CSK’s ‘ROAR 2026’ event.
The immediate logistics of squad management are clear in the available roster moves: Spencer Johnson is expected to join later in April as Ellis’ replacement, while the acquisition of Sanju Samson in a pre-season trade shifts the wicketkeeping and opening responsibilities. Meanwhile, the high-cost auction purchases of kartik sharma and Prashant Veer create pressure for early returns should they be selected.
For a team that struggled last year, the early weeks of IPL 2026 will test whether tactical short-term moves — promoting new signings and reinserting players like Matt Short — can translate into better results. The choices made now will shape not only CSK’s performance in Guwahati and the following fixtures, but also the longer arc of transition away from long-serving figures.
Back in Guwahati, as the match approaches, the absence of Dewald Brevis and the likely unavailability of MS Dhoni reframe a season that began with questions about form and fitness; whether kartik sharma steps up will be among the clearest, most immediate answers the franchise can find.
