Last season, Chennai Super Kings finished bottom of the IPL table, a humbling first for a franchise that had never known that kind of irrelevance. The 2026 season was supposed to be a reset after the auction and a new-look team. Instead, CSK find themselves in a familiar fog, sitting eighth with four losses from six games, staring at a playoff picture that is narrowing by the week.

After losing three straight games, two wins looked like the team was gaining momentum, despite struggling with a slew of injuries.

Now, a mighty blow to the already suffering side is the injury of their standout batter Ayush Mhatre, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

The 18-year-old sustained a left hamstring injury during their 10-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18. The franchise confirmed on April 21 that Mhatre, who came in as an impact substitute, was visibly in distress while attempting a run and will require a rehabilitation period of six to 12 weeks. He had collected 201 runs from six matches at a blistering strike rate of 177.87, numbers that make his absence all the more painful.

Also Read: Now, CSK, RCB spar over idli, sambar and chutney

“It looks pretty bad, unfortunately. He’s going to be a big, big loss because he’s been in really nice touch for us,” batting coach Mike Hussey said at the post-match press conference.

The openers aren’t firing either

With Mhatre gone, the spotlight falls uncomfortably on an opening partnership that was already misfiring. Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has managed just 28 runs from six matches at an average of 13.67 and a strike rate of 112.33, a shadow of the player who scored 590 runs in IPL 2024 and 583 in 2025.

The captaincy burden appears to be weighing on his batting, and former CSK cricketer S. Badrinath has publicly raised the question of whether it is time to relieve him of the role.

“It is worth pondering if the CSK management will think about removing him as captain and handing the role to Sanju Samson. It’s not because he’s failing terribly as captain, but the captaincy burden is clearly showing in his batting. You can see it in his face that he’s under immense pressure,” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel.

Sanju Samson, acquired for ₹18 crore as a marquee addition, has been a study in inconsistency.

He lit up Chepauk with a magnificent 115* off 52 balls against Delhi Capitals, his first century for CSK, only to follow it up with a 7-run cameo against SRH. The highs have been spectacular, but the reliability CSK need from their top order simply hasn’t been there.

Khaleel’s exit and a familiar problem

The injury woes predate Mhatre. Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed was ruled out earlier this month after suffering a Grade 2 quadricep tear during the match against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 14, requiring a rehabilitation period of 10 to 12 weeks.

Nathan Ellis, who was expected to lead the pace attack, had already been ruled out before the season even began with a hamstring injury, leaving CSK short of bowling resources from the very first ball. With MS Dhoni also sidelined and replacement Spencer Johnson yet to join the squad, the bowling unit has been stretched thin.

Former off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin didn’t hold back, publicly questioning CSK’s injury management in the wake of Khaleel’s exit. It is a fair point, this is beginning to feel like a pattern. Last season, Gaikwad himself was ruled out after just five matches, forcing Dhoni to step back in as captain. The injury curse, it seems, has not left Chepauk.

Baby ABD missed the whistle

The injury list started even before the first ball of the season was bowled. Dewald Brevis, CSK’s explosive middle-order batter who had dazzled in 2025 with a strike rate of 180, picked up a side strain during a pre-season training session and missed the first three matches entirely, all of which CSK lost. His return against Delhi Capitals on April 11 gave the side a much-needed spark, but the absence of a player of his calibre in the opening phase had already done its damage.

The missing Dhoni factor

For 18 seasons, MS Dhoni has been the spine of this franchise, winning five titles and, more often than not, steadying the ship when it listed. While his batting in recent years has been limited to cameos in the final overs, his reading of the game and field-setting instincts have been just as valuable. This season, with Dhoni yet to play a single match as he recovers from a calf injury, that presence has been conspicuously absent, and it shows.

Also Read: IPL 2026, CSK vs DC preview: Pressure piling on Samson, Gaikwad

A team stuck in time

Beyond the injuries, there is a more structural concern. While teams across the league have embraced relentless aggression from ball one, CSK continue to play a measured, old-school brand of IPL. In a format where the powerplay is now a battleground and boundaries are expected every other delivery, CSK’s approach looks increasingly out of step. The reluctance to move away from a template built around Gaikwad and Samson at the top, weathering the middle overs, and taking the game deep is no longer yielding results in an IPL where that kind of patience is routinely punished.

Sitting eighth on the table with four losses from six games, the five-time champions are running out of time and players to find their footing.