Fresh off a resounding win against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Mumbai, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) blew cold under the afternoon heat in Chennai as they were outplayed by the Gujarat Titans (GT) in all facets of the game. CSK were given a brutal reality check as GT hammered them from the toss till the end of the contest. This has been the problem for CSK, lack of consistency and follow-up. They had their moments here and there, but were never really in the fight. There were glaring errors by them and the management and we will list those reasons for you.
Losing both power plays with the bat and ball dented CSK’s chances
The power play is a crucial phase in any T20 game and last afternoon was no different. CSK lost the toss and were put into bat. GT bowled tight lines and lengths and did not allow any freebies to CSK. As a result, they were bogged down under pressure and the run rate was very low. Soon, they lost wickets in clusters inside the power play. CSK has an overdependency on Sanju Samson and his form. When he fails, CSK really struggles to get going.
After a 21-run opening stand, Sanju Samson was the first to depart for 11 off 15 balls and it meant trouble for the Men In Yellow. Newcomer Urvil Patel came in and hit a boundary to get off the mark but then gave his wicket away as Kagiso Rabada had two wickets in the over. CSK sent in an impact player 4 overs into the contest, as Sarfaraz was sent to make an impact. Well, he made an impact for the opposition getting out for a golden duck to Siraj. CSK were 26/3 in 4.4 overs and 28/3 in 6 overs of power play and were up against it now.
Cut to the chase of GT, Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill knew the target of 159 and paced the innings perfectly. The duo gave GT the start they wanted. A solid start goes a long way in easing things and GT got exactly what they wanted. Gill was the aggressor of the two in this partnership. The duo made sure that GT were 55/0 in 6 overs and put on 58 in total for the first wicket. The game was sealed in the power play itself. GT were 27 runs ahead of CSK with all wickets intact.
CSK has an overdependency on Samson, and the sooner they find others performing and stepping up, the better it is for them. Or else, the struggle will go on. Yes, they found Ruturaj Gaikwad scoring 74 unbeaten runs but he was far from his fluent there. Once the power play was sluggish, the middle overs also was slow. They need to sort this out quickly.
Tactical blunder by the management exposes CSK
The CSK management’s tactics left a lot to be desired last afternoon as they made blunder calls at the start of the match. They dropped Sarfaraz Khan and brought in Urvil Patel which was a fair call. They kept Mukesh Choudhary as a possible substitute when CSK’s bowling comes. But then, two early wickets fell as Samson and Urvil went inside 4 overs. Then all of a sudden, CSK decided to include an Impact Player in Sarfaraz Khan for more depth in batting. The question is if you needed more batting, then why compromise on the bowling resources.
This particular move meant CSK had an extra batter, but a bowler short when they come to defend the target. Sarfaraz got out for a golden duck making no impact and CSK’s Mukesh Choudhary could not bowl anymore. CSK were now handicapped thanks to the bizarre call by the management. The question that arises is who makes these hasty calls. CSK needs to field a proper XI, if they want to be consistent and back their players. The tactics are coming under the scanner.
Batting positions are also in question, as CSK don’t know what the proper order yet. There is some clarity, but not a whole lot. Batters need to be aware of their roles as well which is not the case in this team, Usage of Impact Player does not happen well for them. So, a lot of areas for the management to work on. The players are responsible for their underperformance, no doubt about it. But the management has to take proper and moral responsibility to get the job done and get CSK in order.
Ruturaj Gaikwad’s sluggish innings coupled with twin failures of Dewald Brevis & Shivam Dube compounded the problems
It was a strange batting display by CSK after being told to bat first. As soon as they lost Sanju Samson, they went into a shell. With Ayush Mhatre ruled out as well, CSK are struggling to fit a XI. Urvil Patel and Sarfaraz Khan came and went within a blink of an eye. Ruturaj Gaikwad was there and under pressure he slowed down. So much so that, he was going at 50 strike-rate at one point. Test cricket was going on. He later accelerate to finish with 74* off 60 balls but the approach and intent was too old school and not good enough.
To add to the woes, Dewald Brevis failed yet again. He consumed 9 balls for his 2 runs and never looked fluent as runs dried up as well. When Brevis and Gaikwad was batting, the score was going nowhere. Then came Shivam Dube. Dube got a few boundaries away here and there, but was not fluent. He scored 22 off 17 balls, but was far from his best. For CSK, to shine they need Dube and Brevis to be at their best. With MS Dhoni all but out of IPL 2026, it’s important that these two senior members of CSK step up and help the likes of Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Gaikwad was less fluent out in the middle and battled his way to a run a ball 50 before accelerating in the end overs to finish with 74* off 60 balls. But the intent was not there for most parts. So, CSK needs to figure out consistency and how the middle order can contribute more than what they are at the present. Brevis and Dube will be the key for CSK if they want to win more games.
What Lies Ahead
So, CSK now have a 5-6 days of break before they return to action on Saturday against their greatest rivals MI in Chennai this time. While GT returns home to Ahmedabad to face and host defending champions RCB on Thursday evening. Next-up in IPL 2026 coming on Monday night features Delhi Capitals (DC) taking on RCB in New Delhi. RCB are in second place while DC as we speak are in 7th place. They desperately need a win tonight.
Let’s see how the game on Monday night goes for everyone involved.
Also Read: CSK vs GT: Kagiso Rabada’s fiery bowling spell tames CSK’s batting lineup