Chennai Super Kings defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 32 runs to register their second consecutive win in the TATA IPL 2026. Piyush Chawla and Mitchell McClenaghan weighed in on CSK’s bowling performance, tactical awareness, and today’s Rivalry Week match between RCB and LSG.
Piyush Chawla lavished praise on Ruturaj Gaikwad’s captaincy:
“Akeal Hosein did not come to bowl in the first six overs because KKR sent Sunil Narine to open, hoping to exploit Akeal. But Ruturaj was smart. As soon as he saw Narine coming out to open, he used Khaleel Ahmed and Anshul Kamboj with the new ball. That was a really good piece of captaincy because both bowlers got rid of KKR’s opening pair of Finn Allen and Narine. As soon as Narine was dismissed, Akeal Hosein was brought into the attack and he did his job brilliantly. The way Ruturaj rotated his bowlers was really good to watch. He was just going for the kill, and that is what you want from your Captain. As a Captain, your thought process should be to go for the kill because when you are taking wickets, you are building pressure on the batting team. When Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein were bowling together, Ruturaj made sure the game did not go too deep. He just wanted to finish it off soon, and that is exactly what he did.”
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On the impact made by Akeal Hosein:
“Akeal Hosein is bowling really well. Earlier, when he was not in the playing XI, CSK’s bowling was not looking up to the mark. But once he came into the team, the Powerplay overs where CSK was struggling and conceding a lot of runs, he began controlling those. We know what he is capable of. What he has done in the Powerplays over the years for different teams and here in the IPL, he made the opposition players feel his impact. He just comes and bowls good lengths and good lines. He does not give batters anything to hit easily. He was unlucky against KKR because two catches got dropped off his bowling. Otherwise, he could have had two or three wickets in his kitty. But he bowled brilliantly.”
Mitchell McClenaghan praised Noor Ahmad’s spell:
“The best part I love about Noor Ahmad is that once he gets a wicket, he always seems to pick up two or more. He never seems satisfied with just one wicket. He always tries to do better and puts the opposition batters in trouble. He bowled an unpickable leg-spin delivery to Cameron Green by coming around the wicket. The way that ball slammed into the stumps showed the class of Noor Ahmad. It was a peach of a delivery. Then against Rinku Singh, Noor did not give him any room or width. He did not allow him to free his arms. That was very frustrating for Rinku. Out of frustration, he played a rash shot and got out. Once Noor Ahmad gets on top, he seems to really scuttle things. He did it again, this time against KKR.”
On how Anshul Kamboj nailed his yorkers:
“Anshul Kamboj’s brilliant bowling display showed why he’s so highly-rated by CSK. I loved the skills he showed at the death, landing those yorkers in a pinpoint manner from round the wicket. His execution was spot-on. In Chennai, high humidity and dew on the outfield make life tough for bowlers. Yorkers become very hard to nail in those conditions. But Kamboj wasn’t affected by the dew. He bowled with great accuracy and picked up two wickets as a reward. If he keeps performing like this in every game, then CSK will fancy their chances of making it to the playoffs.”
On today’s Rivalry Week match between RCB and LSG:
“LSG has a well-balanced batting unit. Their openers, middle order, and lower middle order are all contributing. But they are up against the defending champions, who are full of confidence after their win over MI. So, LSG will have to work hard to win this game. Their bowling attack is looking good, especially Mohammed Shami and Prince Yadav. But Bangalore is a different challenge. The pitch is flat and the boundaries are short. It will be a real test for their bowlers. LSG needs Mitchell Marsh to fire, because his power-hitting at the top can take the game away from RCB early on. Nicholas Pooran has also had a poor start to the season and the small ground in Bangalore should actually suit Pooran’s game. He is the key batter I want to see him bounce back and make a statement.”
