Former Indian cricketer and former Chennai Super Kings player Ambati Rayudu has expressed disappointment with CSK’s approach in the death overs after their third consecutive defeat in the IPL 2026 season. CSK suffered a 43-run loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on April 5 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, further highlighting their struggles in the competition.
During RCB’s penultimate over, Jamie Overton conceded 30 runs as Tim David aggressively attacked. Despite bowling from around the wicket, David consistently managed to hit boundaries.
Rayudu mentioned that the team had experimented with certain tactics during practice sessions, but these were not implemented in matches as MS Dhoni did not approve them. He emphasized the importance of focusing on traditional strategies such as effective yorkers, well-executed slower balls, and simplicity to counter batters effectively.
The death overs posed a significant challenge for CSK as they gave away 78 runs in the final four overs, allowing RCB to achieve a formidable total of 250 for three. Although CSK surpassed the 200-run mark during their chase, they fell short of RCB’s total.
CSK’s bowling woes have been exacerbated by the absence of Nathan Ellis due to a hamstring injury, with Spencer Johnson yet to join the squad as his replacement. Jamie Overton has struggled to adapt, especially with his unfamiliarity with bowling around the wicket. In contrast, various Super Kings franchises worldwide have successfully utilized this strategy, often employing specialists for this role.
In their initial three games, CSK’s bowling has been a cause for concern, conceding runs at an economy rate of 11.57. Sunil Gavaskar previously highlighted that the team’s primary challenge for the remainder of the tournament would be their bowling performance, with pressure mounting on the batters to achieve competitive scores.
Following the defeat to RCB, CSK currently sits at the bottom of the table with a net run rate of -2.517. The team will aim to bounce back in their upcoming match against Delhi Capitals on April 11 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.