There’s no easy way to put this—Chennai Super Kings look cooked.
Three matches into the season, CSK are yet to register a win. Poor batting, ineffective bowling, and sloppy fielding have all contributed to a dismal start. But those surface-level issues only tell half the story. The more worrying concern lies deeper: this squad, even on paper, lacks conviction.
If there was ever a snapshot of how badly CSK may have miscalculated their auction and squad strategy, Saturday’s results provided it. Two former CSK players played decisive, match-winning roles for their new franchises. Sameer Rizvi smashed a blistering 90 to power Delhi Capitals past Mumbai Indians, while Tushar Deshpande delivered a nerveless final over to seal victory for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans. Both players once wore CSK yellow. Neither is there anymore.
Meanwhile, CSK’s own big-money investments have failed to deliver. Their two ₹14 crore acquisitions – uncapped players Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma – have made virtually no impact so far. In a tournament where margins are thin, such underperformance from key signings is costly.
Tactically, too, questions abound. Choosing to field first at the Chinnaswamy Stadium – traditionally a batting paradise – raises eyebrows, especially given what looks like one of the weakest bowling attacks in the competition. The absence of Nathan Ellis has been cited, but it’s hard to argue that one player would have transformed this unit’s fortunes.
The numbers are damning. CSK’s bowlers managed just two wickets while defending 127 in one game. In another, they failed to protect a total of 209. And against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, even with Virat Kohli falling cheaply, they conceded a staggering 250 runs.
What followed was a brutal exhibition of batting dominance. Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar and Tim David tore into the CSK attack with alarming ease. The death overs, in particular, were chaotic – Noor Ahmad conceded 17 in the 17th over, Anshul Kamboj bowled a costly no-ball in the 18th, and Jamie Overton was taken apart for 30 in the penultimate over.
If there is a silver lining, it lies in the batting, which has at least shown flashes of resistance. Sarfaraz Khan has emerged as a rare bright spot. But even there, concerns remain – most notably the struggles of Sanju Samson, who has yet to find form this season.
So, can things improve for CSK? In theory, yes. It’s a long tournament, and momentum can shift quickly. But based on what we’ve seen so far, the more pressing question might be: how much worse can it get?
