Chennai Super Kings’ hopes of reaching the IPL 2026 playoffs suffered a major setback on Saturday night following a disappointing loss to Lucknow Super Giants.
Chennai Super Kings’ hopes of reaching the IPL 2026 playoffs suffered a major setback on Saturday night following a disappointing loss to Lucknow Super Giants. Batting first, CSK posted a competitive 187/5 in 20 overs, with Kartik Sharma top-scoring with 71. However, the target proved insufficient as LSG completed the chase with ease. Mitchell Marsh led the charge with a blistering 90 off 38 balls, helping his side cross the finish line in just 16.4 overs. Nicholas Pooran remained unbeaten on 32 off 17 balls as LSG secured a comfortable seven-wicket victory.
Among CSK’s bowlers, it was a forgettable outing for pacer Anshul Kamboj, who conceded 63 runs in just 2.4 overs. In the final over, he was smashed for four consecutive sixes by Pooran, sealing the match in emphatic fashion. Earlier in the innings, Marsh had also taken Kamboj to the cleaners, particularly in the fifth over.
Former India opener Krishnamachari Srikkanth criticised Kamboj’s approach, stating that his downfall began after bowling a short delivery to Marsh, which was dispatched for a six.
“What did he bowl first ball? A short-of-a-length delivery. Against Australians, if you bowl short, they’ll punish you badly. Marsh smashed that first ball over covers for six. Remember that shot? After that, Kamboj kept bowling short, trying to get bounce, and Marsh pulled him over square leg for another six,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
“From the third ball onwards, if you watch the slow-motion replay carefully, you can notice it in Kamboj’s run-up itself. He got scared after those first two sixes. The fear crept in immediately, and from there he kept bowling shorter and shorter,” he added.
While Kamboj struggled, Mukul Choudhary and Spencer Johnson offered some resistance. Choudhary returned with figures of 1/24 in three overs, while Johnson picked up a wicket and conceded 39 runs in his four overs.
