IPL 2026: 3 things that CSK can improve in upcoming matches
The five-time IPL champions, Chennai Super Kings, faced a nightmare in their very first match of IPL 2026. The team suffered a crushing 8-wicket defeat against the Rajasthan Royals in their tournament opener. After a long while, CSK entered the ground without their leader, MS Dhoni, and in his absence, Rajasthan Royals completely outclassed them.
Batting first, Chennai Super Kings managed to score a mere 127 runs in 19.4 overs. Had Jamie Overton not scored 43 runs off 36 balls towards the end, the team would not have even crossed the 100-run mark. Chasing this target, RR completed the task in just 12.1 overs, losing only two wickets. Rajasthan completely outclassed CSK in all three departments and kicked off their season with a resounding victory.
Witnessing the plight of CSK—the most successful team in the history of the IPL—their fans have become quite disheartened. However, in the IPL, anything can happen at any time. The team will need to make some significant improvements in the upcoming matches, improvements that were completely absent in their opening game.
3 things that CSK can improve in the upcoming matches
1. Powerplay batting intent & stability
The responsibility for the Chennai Super Kings' opening pair rests in the hands of Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and Sanju Samson; however, beyond them, a distinct lack of experience is clearly evident within the squad. This is particularly concerning given that the team's talisman, MS Dhoni, and their explosive batsman, Dewald Brevis, have been ruled out of the initial few matches due to injury.
While the team possesses middle-order batsmen such as Sarfaraz Khan, Ayush Mhatre, and Shivam Dube, they have yet to prove themselves in the IPL. Furthermore, Ravindra Jadeja's departure has weakened both the team's middle and lower orders. Consequently, the burden of responsibility on Sanju and Gaikwad has increased significantly. In the opening match, instead of focusing on scoring runs rapidly, both players prioritised preserving their wickets; however, neither was able to capitalise on the power play, and ultimately, both ended up losing their wickets. CSK batters will have to change their intent in the upcoming matches; otherwise, the first match result will be replicated.
Apart from them, CSK management will have to set a stable batting order and give freedom to the batters to play their natural game.
2. Struggle in the middle-overs
A major issue in the 2025 edition that continued in 2026 as well was a slow scoring rate in the middle-overs, especially against spin bowling (130.9 strike rate in 2025). Against the Rajasthan Royals, CSK batters completely failed in front of Ravi Bishoni (3-0-16-1-5.30) and former CSK mate Ravindra Jadeja (3-0-18-2-6). Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Shivam Dube and Sarfaraz Khan, while Ravi Bishnoi dismissed Matt Henry.
The team will have to utilise players like Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube more effectively to maintain momentum in the middle overs.
3. Have to improve the bowling & fielding mindset
Against the Rajasthan Royals, the team's bowling and fielding appeared quite ordinary. Right from the start, the team committed numerous misfields and dropped catches. They put in no real effort in their bowling either, continuously allowing the opposition batsmen opportunities to score runs. Watching Chennai Super Kings' bowling and fielding, it was hard to believe that this is the most successful team in the IPL—one that has reached 10 finals and won the trophy five times. When defending a low total, a team typically strives to bowl out the opposition; however, no discernible strategy for taking wickets was evident from CSK. The team needs to improve not only its bowling and fielding but also its mindset.
