Cai Huikang started his football career when he joined the Genbao Football Academy in 2000 and was promoted to Shanghai SIPG's (later to be renamed as Shanghai Port) first team during the 2006 season.
He scored his first goal for the club on 18 April 2008 in a 1-1 draw against Beijing Hongdeng.
Cai would establish himself as a vital member of the team throughout the 2013 Chinese Super League campaign as the club finished in ninth while also gaining significant investment from Shanghai International Port.
[4] He would go on to be a consistent presence within the team as he won the 2018 Chinese Super League title with the club.
[5] Cai made his debut for the Chinese national team on 18 June 2014 in a 2-0 win against Macedonia.