Published on: May 22, 2026 1:52 pm IST|Updated on: May 22, 2026 2:03 pm IST
Chennai Super Kings’ disappointing Tata IPL 2026 campaign came to an end last night after they got humiliated by the 2022 champions, the Gujarat Titans, by 89 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. That loss meant that the 5-time champions became the third team this season to get eliminated from the playoff race. After a tough loss, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad reflected on their disappointing campaign.
Well, tough season to start, especially the hat-trick of losses. And then after that, once we found that momentum, obviously we found guys playing at the right spot, the right combination, everything started working. And then obviously, a couple of injuries again and again. Didn’t really help much, especially missing out Jamie and, another allrounder in Ramakrishna Ghosh, kind of unsettled our playing 12. We were always playing a batter short or, playing a bowler short in whatever last three games we played. So obviously, not many people actually buy the fact that we are a young team, we are in a transition phase and, not a lot of players who are experienced enough, especially in the toughest competition. But the given the fact that, more than eight to ten players who have… played just below the 20 games, it’s good to have that exposure for them, especially this year. We got to know what are the areas we are lacking and definitely still to get those six wins, on the road and some couple of great wins as well. So really proud of the unit. There were few games, as I said, when we travelled to Hyderabad, we missed out on chasing 80 in 10 overs and then even last time when we played in Chennai, we could have restricted them to 180. So, couple of games where we could have just got over the line, failed to do that, but still, very much proud.
Let’s move forward and discuss a few things that led to the debacle of the Chennai Super Kings in Tata IPL 2026.
Despite being former 5-time champions, the Chennai Super Kings were never the outright favorites to win the tournament. Yes, they had several injury concerns throughout the season, which definitely derailed their title hunt.
Nathan Ellis became the first casualty, even before the start of the tournament, when he was ruled out due to a hamstring injury. After Ellis, CSK endured a plethora of injuries throughout the season, with the likes of K. Khaleel Ahmed, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Ayush Mhatre, MS Dhoni, and the most important one, the English all-rounder Jamie Overton, getting ruled out at different stages of the tournament due to injuries.
CSK legend MS Dhoni, who was supposed to miss only the first two weeks of the tournament due to a calf injury, could never really regain fitness as a recurring injury on the calf followed by a thumb injury ended the legend’s IPL 2026 campaign without even featuring in a single game for his beloved franchise. A plethora of injuries can never be a constructive sign for a team, and CSK faced the heat due to some key players missing.
When Ruturaj Gaikwad was appointed CSK’s captain last season, the management’s thought behind it was building a team for the next generation led by a young captain. Gaikwad had big shoes to fill after MS Dhoni, who led this franchise to 5 IPL titles in the past, and somehow Gaikwad could not really do justice to the role, and even his batting form faded game after game.
Gaikwad had to step aside in IPL 2025 after an injury that saw MS Dhoni lead the team in his absence. The season, however, turned out to be a nightmarish one for CSK as the five-time champions finished at the bottom of the points table for the first time in the history of the tournament.
Gaikwad had a point to prove, and he was under immense pressure to revive the team this season after what transpired in 2025. CSK had an underwhelming start to their 2026 campaign with three losses on the trot, but somehow, they started finding ways to win games. However, the right-handed batter could never cope with the captaincy pressure as his batting form took a downward spiral.
Ruturaj endured perhaps his worst season with the bat as he scored 337 runs from 14 innings with 2 fifties at a strike rate of just 123.4. In the modern era of T20s, Ruturaj’s striking is definitely questionable, as one can never survive with a strike-rate of 120 in an era where T20 openers are going berserk, striking at a rate of 170 and above.
A captaincy shift in the next season could be in sight for the CSK management, particularly with a proven leader like Sanju Samson in their ranks. Sanju is no stranger to IPL captaincy, as he has led his previous franchise, the Rajasthan Royals, in the past and even took that team all the way to the finals of the 2022 IPL season, where they unfortunately lost to the Gujarat Titans. Not every batter can have their best time with the bat as captain, and this was something on display with Gaikwad this year. If the captaincy changes hands next season, maybe we can see the best of Ruturaj Gaikwad with the bat, where he can play freely with a better strike rate.
One of the major talking points of CSK’s debacle this season has to be their team management. Head coach Stephen Fleming and batting coach Michael Hussey have to be blamed for their lackluster approach and tactics in this ever-running modern T20 cricket era. The duo hasn’t been on point with their tactics, and their restrained approach of not having a batter who can strike above 150 on a regular basis in the top 4 apart from Sanju Samson has definitely hurt the team.
Chennai Super Kings has never been a team that has paid attention to their power hitting. Even in the past, MS Dhoni used to be the one who hit some lusty blows at the closing stages of innings, but that used to happen almost 5-6 years back. In the recent past, only Shivam Dube was seen as someone who could take on the bowling lineup and give the team a push with his power-hitting, but the negligence in the middle order for a power hitter definitely hurt the team.
Sanju’s approach wasn’t translated by any other batter in the top or middle order until Urvil Patel arrived in the thick of things. Dewald Brevis had a disappointing season as he was one of the shining stars of the last season. CSK put their money on the young Protea, but his old habit of being inconsistent didn’t really work in favor of the team.
So, is it the players or the management who should be blamed here? The answer is the management. While players can adapt and transform their game, it is the management’s responsibility to have a clear prototype, ensuring the right man is available at the right time to take on the bowlers. Also, it’s been a problem for CSK to adapt to the modern-day approach of T20s. If the management continues with its shallow mindset in the ever‑evolving T20 standards, the owners should take the tough call of axing the current setup and bringing in fresh faces who can adapt to modern‑day demands.
Tags: IPL 2026