One of the harsher truths of the IPL is that a couple of rough overs can swing the narrative of an otherwise strong campaign. Anshul Kamboj had been doing a lot of the work for Chennai Super Kings as they pushed for a playoff spot, and his performances had been among the brighter notes of their season. However, after he was thoroughly dismantled by Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran during a match in Lucknow, his tournament numbers took a noticeable hit.
Against the two in-form batters at the Ekana, Kamboj bowled 2.4 overs and conceded 63 runs. Marsh and Pooran also inflicted heavy damage by striking four sixes in consecutive overs off him, turning the spell into a turning point. As a result, Kamboj’s season economy rose by nearly a full run, climbing to 10.11 for the campaign. Even so, former CSK batter Ambati Rayudu urged fans not to overreact to the display, framing it as a one-off outing against international talents who were clearly on the front foot.
“The guy has been bowling so well throughout the season, you’re bound to have a bad day,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo’s show. He compared it to the swings that can happen in limited-overs cricket: “It’s like getting a duck. You’re getting a golden duck. And if you look at those balls that he has bowled… most of the balls were decent. It’s just some incredible hitting. And he came across Mitch Marsh and Nicholas Pooran, who is just finding form.”
Lack of experience leaves CSK exposed in the moment
Rayudu also argued that CSK’s troubles during that spell weren’t purely about line and length, but about what can happen when a team lacks the right kind of in-the-moment control. Marsh struck a brutal 90 to move into sixth place on the Orange Cap list, while the timing of his rampage mattered for LSG, because it arrived when CSK could least afford it. Pooran, too, had started the season with struggles and looked scratchy in that match early on, before exploding with four sixes to finish strongly.
In Rayudu’s view, a key factor behind the damage—described as a 28-run over alongside an ongoing hitting streak—was CSK’s relative lack of top-end experience. He suggested that when a bowler is being targeted, having seasoned heads who can quickly slow down the chaos and shape the next few deliveries can make a difference. “I feel the CSK side, when you look at them at the ground, they’re not too many smart heads, experienced heads there,” Rayudu said. He highlighted the idea of someone stepping in with calm guidance: “Players who could just control the game, who can just go and give [Kamboj] a pat, saying, ‘boss, just wait, hang on for ten seconds, tie your laces up,’”
Rayudu also touched on the role of leadership during such moments, saying that a figure like Sanju Samson might have been able to steady Kamboj, but he noted that Samson doesn’t typically involve himself in that kind of on-field intervention. “Not so many cricket smarts on the ground except maybe Sanju [Samson, the wicketkeeper]. And he is generally not someone who… it’s too far away. He doesn’t intervene…” Rayudu explained. “Just change his chain of thought. Don’t get him lost in that moment.”
With that blow, CSK’s push for a surprise playoff berth has suddenly become far more complicated. Their route forward now demands bigger wins than before, and the side may also need results to fall their way, leaving them with less margin for error than they would have hoped for after a season that had been building toward the postseason.
