The 2026 IPL season was one of opportunities lost and mistakes made for the Chennai Super Kings. With their 5-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad in match no.13, CSK have now managed just six wins from thirteen games and find themselves with very little chance of qualifying for the playoffs. For a team who always seems to maintain their cool under pressure, there has been a lot going wrong for them in this season. Starting from top order failures, poor show against spinners, injuries, problems in death overs to lack of MS Dhoni's experience in the dugout, here are the five things that didn't go right for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026.
It all started early on with Chennai Super Kings losing games after putting themselves in winning positions. With stops and starts all through their campaign, they were unable to get any momentum going for them despite being blessed with some match-winning players in their ranks.
Things that went wrong with CSK in IPL 2026
1. Top Order - A Hit or Miss
The main problem with CSK was the inconsistent opening batting order. The captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, had an underwhelming season, and the opening duo couldn’t offer solid beginnings. However, Sanju Samson proved himself by making 450 runs in 12 innings, yet he got no help. No other batsman scored more than 250 runs. The early loss of 2-3 wickets in the powerplay left the middle order with no choice other than defense.
2. Injuries Disrupted Team Balance
However, CSK suffered injuries prior to and throughout the season. Nathan Ellis suffered an injury in his hamstring and thus could not take part in the event. Problems kept coming their way. Khaleel Ahmed, Ayush Mhatre, Jamie Overton, and Ramakrishna Ghosh could not take part due to injuries. Moreover, MS Dhoni had a calf injury. There were many changes made due to which they could not settle for anything concrete.
3. Batters Struggled Against Spin
The middle order never looked comfortable against slower bowling. CSK scored at a strike rate of only 130.9 against spin, the lowest among all teams in IPL 2026. This inability to rotate strike slowed the innings. Opponents packed the middle overs with spin, forced dot balls, and created scoreboard pressure. As a result, CSK were often left needing too many runs at the end.
4. Spin Attack Failed to Control the Middle Overs
It was hoped that the spinners for CSK would prove to be an area of strength. But in reality, that proved to be a weakness for them. Noor Ahmad and Ravichandran Ashwin could not stop runs and take wickets consistently. This is clear from their statistics. Noor leaked 49 runs in only four overs in the match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
5. Poor Fielding Hurt Them Repeatedly
The catch percentages of Chennai Super Kings have seen an absolute decline in the current tournament. The team managed to make 20 catches in 12 matches, giving them an efficiency of catching percentage of 73%. Simply put, out of every four chances, one was left dropped by the fielders. The missed catches were detrimental to the team's performance. These were giving another chance to the batsmen who could play to their advantage.
