Chennai Super Kings’ difficult run in IPL 2026 has continued, with the franchise falling to Sunrisers Hyderabad to register yet another defeat in a season that has failed to deliver the usual spark. CSK’s problems have been visible in both departments, as their batting and bowling have struggled to make the decisive impact at crucial stages. MS Dhoni’s absence has been especially noticeable in chase scenarios, where the team has not managed to close out matches once they’ve looked set. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has also appeared to be carrying extra pressure in high-stakes moments, while the bowling group has not consistently delivered in match-defining spells. As the campaign moves forward, CSK are still searching for clear answers to turn their performances around.
Even with the loss, Gaikwad sounded fairly positive about his bowlers, underlining the way they recovered after a rough start in the powerplay. He pointed to Abhishek Sharma’s aggressive intent early on, acknowledging that SRH attacked with intent before CSK managed to regain control. After that early jolt, CSK regrouped effectively and kept Sunrisers Hyderabad to a total below 200—roughly 30 runs short of what had looked like a competitive, near-par mark at one point.
“Looking at how their powerplay went, I was looking at a score around 220-230. To pull it back by 30 runs, I would have taken it any day under 200,” Gaikwad said after the match.
He also spoke about CSK’s chase and how rapidly momentum shifted despite the team being in a reasonably strong position at the halfway mark. In his view, the lack of sustained partnerships, combined with a slowdown in scoring, proved costly and ultimately swung the contest away from CSK.
“It was just about 80 runs needed in 10 overs (with the bat). From there, it was just about building a couple of partnerships. We scored just 4 runs in the next 2 overs after the 10-over mark. Chasing 12-13 at the death is going to be tough,” he added.
“Bowling unit has been doing well”
Gaikwad further suggested that bowlers should stick to their plans in the powerplay against SRH, even when the opposition starts fast. He singled out Abhishek’s performance, saying the youngster’s batting was outstanding, and praised the broader effort from CSK’s bowling unit.
“It’s been three successive games that the bowling unit has been doing really well. Even the powerplay today I thought Abhishek played brilliantly. I think everyone did a good job with the ball,” Gaikwad remarked.
The captain also offered special praise for Anshul Kamboj, focusing on the youngster’s improving maturity and the clarity he shows in execution—particularly in pressure situations during the closing overs. Gaikwad highlighted that Kamboj appears to know exactly what he needs to do at the death.
“He (Anshul Kamboj) is working really on his bowling, especially the death bowling. Very rarely you get bowlers who have clarity and tell the captain that I know what to do, this is what I am going to do,” Gaikwad concluded.
