Chennai Super Kings’ bowling has come under fresh scrutiny after the franchise suffered a third straight defeat in IPL 2026 on Sunday. CSK were beaten by 43 runs by Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, a loss that leaves them rooted at the bottom of the standings, with questions again being raised about how they operate in the final phase of an innings.
Tim David and RCB skipper Rajat Patidar set the tone in the slog overs, smashing 78 runs as CSK struggled to control the tempo. Former Australia captain Aaron Finch pointed to shortcomings in both planning and execution, but Ambati Rayudu went further, saying the side kept following a route that was clearly not working.
“More than a bad plan, they just stuck to that bad plan,” Rayudu said. “There was nobody to intervene, take those 20–30 seconds, slow things down and guide the bowler. They should have just reset a little.”
Rayudu’s comments also zeroed in on what happened during the last over. Out of the 78 runs conceded in the death overs, 30 came in the final over delivered by Jamie Overton. The left-arm option was criticised for using an around-the-wicket approach on a Chinnaswamy track that has offered plenty to batters.
When asked about the fact that CSK have tried this angle in other franchise competitions such as MLC and SA20 in recent seasons, Rayudu suggested the difference in match situations is what matters most. He brought up MS Dhoni as the key influence on whether such plans get approved for the biggest moments.
“They’ve tried that in practice over the years, but it never translated into matches because MS didn’t approve of that angle in the death overs. Even as batters, we found it easy to counter — just step half a foot outside the crease and the angle is nullified,” Rayudu said.
Rayudu added that CSK should revisit their approach rather than keep leaning on the same patterns. He argued that the simplest plan often gives the best chance of success at the death.
“I think that’s an area they need to review. Sometimes, it’s better to stick to conventional strategies — good yorkers, well-executed slower balls, keep it simple.”
Chennai’s death-bowling concern
A big reason behind CSK’s shaky start is their continued difficulties in the death overs. In this phase, they are currently posting an economy rate of 16.5, the poorest mark among all teams in the tournament so far. It also represents a sharp drop compared to their 2025 numbers, which were already their worst in IPL history.
CSK’s death bowling has not always faced the harshest tests early on, either. In their first match, Rajasthan Royals chased 128 in only 12.1 overs in Guwahati, limiting the exposure for CSK during the final phase. In another game, Punjab Kings encountered just 2.4 overs of death bowling in their meeting at Chepauk, scoring 33 runs in that portion of the innings.
Led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK will now aim to arrest the slide as they return to home conditions to take on Delhi Capitals on April 11.
