You can actually compare it even with your life. When you structure an aspect of life based on a few pillars, you have to be careful with the timing to achieve success. Over the years, those pillars catch rust. And once you have experienced a fair bit of success, it’s your job to actually replace those pillars one by one, so that your building stays stable.
It was just after the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 season that the current analyst of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Freddie Wilde, wrote a book about cricket expertise. It had a chapter on ‘Why CSK win and Why RCB lose’. And he pointed out that the Bengaluru franchise was imbalanced in building a T20 side despite a huge price, as they used Corey Anderson and Colin de Grandhomme as their death bowlers.
It felt that the DNA of the team was more towards the strong batting line-ups as they used to have KL Rahul and Shane Watson in the middle order in a line-up, topped by Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle. And once they used all of their money to strengthen the batting, Saini and Anderson were their only bowling options to buy.
Things have changed since Freddie joined RCB in 2022, as they claimed their second successive IPL trophy among the top franchises. Only CSK and the Mumbai Indians were able to achieve the feat in 2010-2011 and 2019-2020 periods, respectively.
This IPL 2026 season wasn’t that poor for the CSK side, as it felt. It could be after the auction. And I loved the fact that MS Dhoni didn’t play a single game. That was bound to happen at some stage of the competition for this side. The earlier the better.
Whenever MS takes the field, he, unwillingly, becomes the center of attraction, and I also loved the fact that he didn’t travel to the ground. It was all up to Ruturaj Gaikwad to be in that situation and understand the inner details in that game as the leader of a proud franchise. And you can do it only by being in that moment.
CSK’s IPL 2026- A season of what if
My only issue with this season for CSK was their habit of bottling easy games. When they took the flight to return to their respective homes, they should recall the game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, when they needed just over eight an over at the halfway mark of the chase. In 2026, if someone tells me that with 80-odd runs being required in the last 10 overs with eight wickets in hand, the chasing side fell short of the target, it will knock my socks off. But it actually happened.
I still remember it was raining in my hometown. Because it was lightning, I, for a minute, thought of switching off my WIFI and the television, but I still kept it on, expecting a memorable victory to put a smile on my face. But what did I get in return? A defeat? Really? What about those fans who turned up in huge numbers to cheer on the franchise?
Generally, I don’t love disrespecting the players. Because I haven’t played at the highest level, I always wonder if they haven’t been able to do the job, I have no right to call them out. But it was shameful to see an international player nudging off singles when the required run-rate had crossed 10 with five overs to spare.
Keep Making IPL A Soft Target, But IPL Isn’t a Issue For India’s Test Decline This Time Around
Had they gotten the victory, it could have been a different equation. They would have gotten into the Playoffs. That would have been a big plus to their IPL 2026 campaign. And they actually ended just over the Mumbai Indians and the Lucknow Super Giants. Even the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who experienced five defeats out of the first six encounters, including a washed-out, finished above them.
What are you doing Ruturaj?
But I don’t care about the Knights. I care about this franchise. Ruturaj, with the bat, looked like a rabbit in the headlights. In this current age, you can’t bat at a strike rate of 100-120, especially inside the powerplay. Believe me, Rutu batted at 50-75 in some of the games. And that put extreme pressure on his partner, Sanju Samson, from the other end on a few occasions.
I loved Karthik Sharma. He played that one six against Mitchell Santner perhaps. That was at the Wankhede over the extra cover, and that too without using his feet. You need to have the best balance in hitting that six. Hopefully, he remains injury-free in the same season and does better with the bat.
The Stephen Fleming issue- too much boring in 2026
Let’s move on to our beloved Stephen Fleming. First of all, I love Kiwis. He has done a great job for this franchise with five titles in the last 19 seasons. But sometimes, it’s better to move on when things don’t marry each other. The IPLs have reached 2026, but Fleming is still in 2018.
Fleming once commented that he came to the IPL with an aim to win titles and had no intention of improving the youngsters. It seems to be coaching even in the late 2020s. You turn on your TV and see a bowler using the wide yorker line plan to a batter in the death overs. Without a second thought, you would know Fleming is the coach of the side.
If you see a left-arm spinner, despite being in form and clinical in the powerplay, who has either been axed or not given the ball in the first six overs, you would know it’s Fleming in the coach.
Once you see the team targeting 180-190, even on a solid batting surface where the opposition could perhaps score 250, you would easily know who the coach is. That’s the issue with Flem. He puts all his eggs in the same basket and ends up dropping the basket at some stage. Time to move on. No point in being emotional. There are better guys available.
Can CSK do it in IPL 2027?
Overall, I thought the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pushed themselves more than expected. Jamie Overton was excellent, as were Sanju, Akeal, Noor, Mukhesh, Khaleel, and a few other guys. But they need to move into the mini auction of IPL 2027 with a few gaps to fill.
Can they lift the trophy in 2027? I don’t think they can. But can they qualify in the Playoffs of the next IPL season? Certainly, they can. They just need to clear the rust off the pillars.
