The daily digest · Saturday, 16 May 2026
Chennai run out of road, and almost out of season
A fourth defeat in five has left the five-time champions needing other results to break their way.
Written by OverByOver, fact-checked against live match data and ESPNcricinfo. 2 minute read.
It has been a long time since Chennai Super Kings have looked this ordinary. A fourth loss in five games leaves them on 8 points with a net run rate that has quietly become a problem of its own.
The batting has aged in a way the squad planning did not fully account for. Ruturaj Gaikwad is carrying too much, and the middle order has not produced a match-defining innings in a month.
The aura is intact. The net run rate is not.
Chepauk will keep them competitive at home. But the playoff maths now needs other teams to lose, and that is not a position this franchise is used to occupying.
The results in full
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