Data Shorts: An uninvited deja vu for CSK
For starters, it looked promising, at least in theory! Could it go further downhill anyway? The Chennai Super Kings fared the worst on just about every parameter with the bat in IPL 2025, and it reflected in the points table. In the build-up to the 2026 edition, that top-five seemed to have had a proper upgrade: Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis and Shivam Dube.
The numbers backed that up. Among the 10 IPL 2026 squads, if the collective numbers for everyone who batted in the top-five between the last season and the start of the ongoing one were factored in, CSK boasted the best average (35.85) and the second-best strike-rate (162.90, only behind SRH's 169.71). Gaikwad just played one match in the timeframe, but Samson and Dube starred in India's recent T20 World Cup triumph, Mhatre had a brilliant SMAT 2025/26 (325 runs at 108.33, SR: 166.66), while Brevis plied his trade throughout (1089 runs, SR: 158.74).
CSK's batting woes in IPL 2025
| Parameter | CSK (rank among 10 teams) | Overall season aggregate (difference) |
|---|---|---|
| Avg 1st inns score | 173 (10th) | 190 (17) |
| Tournament run-rate | 8.79 (10th) | 9.62 (0.83) |
| Boundary% | 17.98% (10th) | 21.41% (3.43) |
| Avg SR for No.1-8 | 139.37 (10th) | 154.16 (14.79) |
| Avg PP score | 52 (10th) | 58 (6) |
| Avg opening partnership | 21.85 (9th) - 5 pairs | 38.2 (16.35) |
| Opening p'ship RR | 8.42 (10th) | 9.72 (1.3) |
| Batting avg vs pace | 27.37 (9th) | 30.58 (3.21) |
| Batting SR vs pace | 147.65 (10th) | 157.88 (10.23) |
| Batting avg vs spin | 21.46 (10th) | 29.96 (8.5) |
| Batting SR vs spin | 124.36 (10th) | 143.49 (19.13) |
Batting stats for players batting in top five between IPL 2025 and 2026 (grouped by IPL 2026 squads)
| IPL 2026 squad | Runs | Ave | SR | 50s | 100s | Bnd% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SRH | 4752 | 33.23 | 169.71 | 29 | 5 | 24.75 |
| CSK | 3944 | 35.85 | 162.9 | 23 | 6 | 23.33 |
| RR | 4133 | 31.07 | 161.5 | 24 | 3 | 22.43 |
| KKR | 5819 | 33.83 | 160.56 | 32 | 5 | 22.51 |
| RCB | 4708 | 31.81 | 153.45 | 23 | 5 | 21.12 |
| MI | 6265 | 32.46 | 150.31 | 40 | 4 | 20.75 |
| DC | 3382 | 30.46 | 147.68 | 20 | 2 | 19.95 |
| GT | 4223 | 31.05 | 146.88 | 25 | 1 | 20 |
| PBKS | 2615 | 22.93 | 145.11 | 12 | 0 | 19.25 |
| LSG | 4853 | 31.92 | 142.06 | 30 | 4 | 19.29 |
However, with no proven experience lower down, CSK's worst nightmare came true. The first jolt came even before a ball had been sent down, with Dewald Brevis ruled out of the contest with a side strain. A red-soil pitch with extra carry and bounce, aided by the moisture with showers earlier on, set it up perfectly for the two overseas quicks.
It didn't matter that Jofra Archer had gone at 9.53 runs per over in the T20 WC and was taken to the cleaners by Samson in his most recent outing. The top-three were back within 3.1 overs. The traditional good length deliveries generated awkward bounce, complemented by the high release points from Archer and Nandre Burger to inflict maximum damage. CSK tottered to 41/4 in the Powerplay, and the early introduction of the impact sub failed. Dube, having walked in at seven, opted to fight fire with fire unlike in 2025, but his stay lasted just four balls. A 33-run stand for the 10th wicket (highest ever for CSK) was a mere footnote in an effort of 127 all-out.
RR quicks in Overs 1-6 in Match 3 (by lengths)
| Length | Runs | Balls | Wickets | ER | Dot% | Bnd% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 8 | 5 | 1 | 9.6 | 50 | 40 |
| Good | 12 | 23 | 2 | 3.13 | 57.6 | 4.34 |
| Short | 12 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 25 | 25 |
MS Dhoni and Brevis' absence on Monday further magnified the glaring void in the CSK squad, which evidently leaves them dependent on select individuals to go the distance. It's in stark contrast to the defending champions RCB, who had Jacob Duffy fill the Josh Hazlewood void to perfection in the season opener, not to mention they had Venkatesh Iyer on bench.
Exactly a year ago, the RR quicks, led by Archer had tested the CSK top-order with raw pace and hard lengths, the opening phase defining the eventual result in a close finish. Monday evening offered a sense of deja vu - only that CSK fared even worse.
"We've won one out of three. It's not all bad," quipped Stephen Fleming after that result. Unfortunately for CSK, it went sliding further thereafter. Whether they can flip the tables this time around remains to be seen. They face last year's finalists in their next two outings. The challenge only stiffens further.
TAGS
RELATED STORIES
