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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered an eight-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in their IPL 2026 opener on Monday.
Cricket - Indian Premier League - IPL - Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings - Assam Cricket Association Stadium, Guwahati, India - March 30, 2026 Chennai Super Kings' Ruturaj Gaikwad walks back to the pavilion after losing his wicket, bowled out by Rajasthan Royals' Jofra Archer REUTERS/Sahiba Chawdhary(REUTERS)Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu criticised the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batters for their poor shot selection in their defeat to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2026. (IPL 2026 Updated Points Table)
Chennai Super Kings, without MS Dhoni, suffered a massive batting collapse as they were bowled out for 127 in 19.4 overs.
They eventually lost the match by eight wickets. MS Dhoni, CSK's former skipper, has been ruled out of the first two weeks of IPL 2026 due to a calf strain, and he is currently undergoing rehabilitation.
Ambati Rayudu on CSK's loss to RR
"Definitely, the conditions were tough, but a little application was needed. They had the batsman do that. Unfortunately, the shot selection was not great, especially in the first 4-5 overs.
“That's where the batting innings were lost. If they had lost two fewer wickets in that period, maybe they would have gone on to score 150 or 160, which would have been quite tough to chase on this pitch,” the former CSK player told ESPNCricinfo.
Rayudu said that the CSK players need to show more application and that there can be no excuses for the loss against RR.
Sanju Samson, playing his first match in CSK colours, scored just six runs, whereas skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad (6), Matthew Short (2) and Ayush Mhatre (2) also failed to fire. The five-time champions had to rely on Jamie Overton's 36-ball 43 as they surpassed the 100-run mark in only the 18th over. "A little more application was needed.
“You can say it's a young side as well. Maybe they need a little bit of time to gel in and, you know, get the innings and the squad going, but no excuses to be honest," stated Rayudu.
What next for CSK?
The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side will next take on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Chennai on 3 April, before locking horns against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in Bengaluru two days later. CSK, who last won the IPL title in 2023, endured a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign, finishing 10th with just 8 points.
In the IPL 2024 season, the Yellow Brigade narrowly missed out on the playoffs following a 27-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. CSK finished the league stage in fifth place with 14 points, the same number of points as fourth-placed RCB, who qualified for the playoffs on the basis of a superior Net Run Rate (NRR).
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