14 hours ago
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Chennai Super Kings’ IPL 2026 reappraisal makes for grim reading.
For a franchise built connected bequest and consistency, the five-time champion was fto down by its muddled tactics.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s men were ever down the 8 shot successful their pursuit of a top-four spot, missing the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive year.
The run had a turbulent take-off and a unspeakable landing, bookended by 3 consecutive losses astatine the commencement and finish. It surely didn’t assistance that the team’s increasing wounded database was successful a changeless tussle with the fig of wins.
CSK, which finished connected 12 points, seldom made optimum usage of whoever was acceptable and available, evidenced by its reluctance to play Akeal Hosein. Five of CSK’s six victories came successful the 7 matches that the left-arm spinner took portion in. The excuse of not having an overseas spot doesn’t clasp h2o arsenic Super Kings played immoderate games with 3 foreigners.
Head manager Stephen Fleming ne'er cracked the Impact Player rule. The astir baffling deployment of the substitute came erstwhile Sarfaraz Khan was hastily sent successful to bat successful the 5th implicit of the archetypal innings against Gujarat Titans aft CSK had mislaid lone 2 wickets.
Timid approach
Ruturaj’s timid attack (337 runs, 123.44 strike-rate) not lone made CSK’s PowerPlay powerless but besides enactment unnecessary unit connected Sanju Samson.
The travel of the ₹14.20 crore youngsters, Kartik Sharma and Prashant Veer, couldn’t person been much different. While the wicketkeeper-batter was fixed a agelong tally astatine No. 4 (295 runs successful 11 innings), the all-rounder batted excessively debased (90 runs disconnected 67 balls successful 5 innings) and hardly bowled (two overs).
Anshul Kamboj, who was the archetypal to instrumentality 10 wickets successful the decease overs, besides holds the dubious grounds of being the lone 1 to concede 500 runs successful the play truthful far.
Then determination was the M.S. Dhoni saga. The 44-year-old could person go the 4th subordinate to diagnostic successful each IPL seasons, but helium did not play and hardly travelled with the team.
The calf injury, expected to sideline him for 2 weeks, took clip to heal earlier a sore thumb delayed his return.
When asked if CSK was hopeful of Dhoni playing IPL 2027, bowling manager Eric Simons replied: “Are you earnestly asking maine that question? Only M.S. volition cognize erstwhile he’s acceptable and he’ll determine successful the champion involvement of the team.”
After the play it has endured, the Chennai outfit volition person much questions than answers.
