Chennai Super Kings\u2019 IPL 2026 journey ended in Ahmedabad on Thursday, May 21, with a heavy 89-run loss to Gujarat Titans that effectively sealed CSK\u2019s elimination while confirming GT a top-two finish. Chasing 229\/4 after the Titans posted a commanding total, CSK were bowled out for 140 in just 13.4 overs, turning what had already been a difficult season into yet another disappointing chapter.<\/p>\n
After the match, CSK bowling coach Eric Simons said the franchise would take positives from a campaign that repeatedly tested a mix of emerging and less experienced players. In his view, every individual departs the tournament with something to fix. \u201cI think each player goes away with something to work on,\u201d Simons said. \u201cAs a bowling coach, I put reports together for each guy to go for the next nine months to come back an improved player, like we saw Anshul (Kamboj) come back from last season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simons also felt the season offered CSK a clearer picture of how they operate as a single unit, not just as separate batting and bowling units. \u201cWe know ourselves a lot better as a unit and we also know a lot of the individuals better, as to what they can and can\u2019t do,\u201d he added. He singled out Kartik as a standout for growth this year, while noting that the core group\u2019s strengths were already well known. \u201cSomeone like Kartik has come along magnificently this season. We know what he\u2019s about. Obviously the established players, we\u2019ve always known who they were and what they are. But I do know that we\u2019ve come away from this tournament understanding ourselves as a unit better and that stands us in good stead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead to coaching leadership, Simons suggested the learning will be valuable for head coach Stephen Fleming as well. \u201cI think that\u2019s an important learning for Stephen (Fleming) as the head coach to know the balance of the side and how that looks,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen we play well, we\u2019re a really good unit. So I think we go away with a lot of understanding of ourselves as a unit and how we need to play and how we have to play.\u201d<\/p>\n
Injuries, however, were a recurring theme in CSK\u2019s inconsistency, and Simons pointed directly to the impact of losing Jamie Overton at a crucial point in the tournament. \u201cJust as we were getting some momentum, we lose someone like Jamie Overton, who\u2019s such a balancing factor in our team,\u201d Simons said. \u201cSo important to our bowling attack through the middle, so we don\u2019t have to make crazy changes. And then he can also bat at the back end of the innings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Simons also explained CSK\u2019s batting reshuffle against Gujarat Titans, describing it as a deliberate response to GT\u2019s pace and the way their bowlers have operated at the venue. Matt Short returned as an opener, while Ruturaj Gaikwad, Urvil Patel and Kartik Sharma were moved one spot down from their usual positions. \u201cWe looked at what GT have done on this ground, what lengths they\u2019ve bowled and where they\u2019ve bowled,\u201d Simons said. \u201cWe met Short (Matt) as a particularly good player of short bowling. So we thought we\u2019d counter it with someone like him at the top of the order. And I thought he batted really well. They bowled very well throughout the innings, throughout the tournament they\u2019ve bowled well in their conditions. So that was the reason for the tinker at the top of the order just to get the balance right.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked about whether MS Dhoni would feature in the 2027 season, Simons reiterated that the decision would rest with the veteran. \u201cHe has hit the ball so well. He obviously had a leg injury which made it very difficult for him to run. But only MS will know and MS will make the decision about when he\u2019s ready and when he\u2019s right,\u201d Simons said. \u201cIf he knows he\u2019s not, he won\u2019t play. But if he is right, he will. He\u2019ll make the decision in the best interest of the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Gujarat Titans, Rashid Khan described conditions in Ahmedabad as largely steady across both innings, while crediting GT\u2019s bowlers for adjusting more quickly than CSK. \u201cI think wicket didn\u2019t change,\u201d Rashid said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a day and night match, it\u2019s a night game. And the bowling attack we have, especially the fast bowling unit we have, have done a really great job throughout the tournament. On this wicket, if you hit the right area consistently with good pace, there is something for the bowler. I feel like we adjusted ourselves with the condition and the wicket quicker than them and I think that\u2019s the reason behind why we won again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rashid also highlighted the importance of following a plan with the new ball, warning against becoming overly reactive once batters begin finding boundaries. \u201cOn such wickets I feel like it\u2019s something you have to bring the consistency and keep hitting the right area,\u201d he said. \u201cYou will go for runs but there is reward. I think you can get wickets. Nowadays if someone hits a couple of boundaries straight away you go and have that death bowling in the mind, \u2018how I\u2019m going to get over this over.\u2019 I feel like when you\u2019re bowling in the early stage you need to be very aggressive and I think it clearly comes from us that whoever is bowling up the order just go for it and hit the right area consistently. If you do think about at that time to go to the death overs then you\u2019re already losing it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chennai Super Kings\u2019 IPL 2026 journey ended in Ahmedabad on Thursday, May 21, with a heavy 89-run loss to Gujarat Titans that effectively sealed CSK\u2019s…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":11534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"CSK IPL 2026 Exit in Ahmedabad: Simons Reacts After Loss","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"CSK\u2019s IPL 2026 ended in Ahmedabad after an 89-run loss to Gujarat Titans. Eric Simons reflects on the defeat and season struggles.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n