Chennai Super Kings’ hopes of qualifying for the Indian Premier League 2026 took a nosedive after the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side suffered a loss in their 13th match of the tournament at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday, May 18. CSK needed a win to enter the top four and put a strong challenge for the playoffs; however, they squandered the golden chance on what was a slow Chepauk surface.
Led by contributions from Kartik Sharma, Dewald Brevis, and Shivam Dube, the Super Kings posted 180/7 after opting to bat. Sunrisers took their time in the chase, especially after losing Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma inside the first half of the innings before cashing in later. Heinrich Klaasen and Ishan Kishan put in the hard yards with what turned out to be the match-winning partnership of 75 from 41 balls for the third wicket.ย
While SRH lost a few wickets in the latter half of the chase, the damage was done by Klaasen and Kishan with their courageous stand that took the game away from the hosts. The visitors went five down but were in control as they hunted the target down with five wickets in hand and one over to go.ย
How can CSK still qualify for playoffs?
The Super Kings are still not officially out of the race for the playoffs despite their chances taking a massive hit now. While they have dropped down a spot in the points table from fifth to sixth – falling behind the Rajasthan Royals – they are still alive in the race for the knockouts.
CSK now have 12 points from 13 matches and will face the Gujarat Titans in their last league game on May 21 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The Super Kings will have to win that match at any cost and hope for a few results to go their way.
What results CSK need in their favour?
After SRH’s win, three teams have booked their playoff spots, with the Gujarat Titans also earning an entry into the knockouts. Five teams are now in the fray for the one final spot, and CSK need some heavy results going their way for a potential playoff spot.ย
CSK would need PBKS, who face LSG in their last game, to lose and stay on 13 points. They will want RR to lose at least one of their last two outings against the LSG and the Mumbai Indians. Moreover, CSK would also want KKR to drop at least one of their two games against the MI and the Delhi Capitals and hope that the Capitals don’t go past their NRR.
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