Legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar thinks the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) may have to struggle with their bowling attack throughout the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2026). CSK lost by five wickets against Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their last match at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on April 3 (Friday). The Super Kings, batting first, scored 209 for five thanks to Ayush Mhatre’s 73 and helpful cameos from Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube. However, their bowlers were no match in front of the PBKS’ batting line-up, which was able to chase down the target with five wickets remaining.
According to Gavaskar, CSK’s lacklustre bowling attack may put additional pressure on the batters, who could need to regularly score between 225 and 230 to maintain the team’s competitiveness.
“From what we’ve seen so far, CSK’s biggest concern for the rest of the tournament will be their bowling. It means they may have to consistently score around 225–230 to give their bowlers a chance,” Gavaskar said while speaking on Star Sports’ ‘Amul Cricket Live’.
Gavaskar stated that the Super Kings must fix their bowling issues as soon as possible because the majority of the competition’s franchises have deep batting lineups.
“Most teams now have significant batting depth, like we saw with Punjab Kings, where Marcus Stoinis came in at No. 7 and struck the ball cleanly with proper cricketing shots. With many sides batting deep, Chennai will need to get their bowling in order,” Gavaskar added.
For the first time in their history, the Super Kings ended the previous season at the bottom of the standings. This time around, they have not had the finest start either, losing by eight wickets to Rajasthan Royals, who chased down 128 with 47 balls remaining. With a net run rate of -2.562, the lowest of the ten teams, CSK is currently wallowing at the bottom of the table after suffering another defeat to PBKS.
