BENGALURU, INDIA: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) succumbed to their third straight loss in IPL 2026 when they were beaten by 43 runs by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, April 5.
The five-time IPL winners, as a result, were relegated to the last position of the IPL 2026 table, with no points whatsoever. They are yet to open their account after three matches. Quite naturally, such poor performances drew the ire of their loyal supporters, who expected their side to do better.
While the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni due to injury has hampered their plans, the Super Kings’ current group of players have come a cropper when put under challenging situations. On Sunday, for example, they conceded 250-3 to RCB, but could only get all out for 207 in return.
“2 years tough time? Worst team management and loosing without a fight [sic]. Not the kings we know. Posters enough, please keep our hopes alive this year,” wrote Stephen Emmanuel, a fan.
Here are a few other reactions from CSK’s passionate supporters:
“Heartbreaking for CSK fans…. a team that once ruled the league now searching for just one victory,” said a fan with the moniker CricFlix.
“Ruturaj and Samson are the most expensive opening pair by the way this season. 18 crores each. 36 crores total. Though performance has been worth 36 rupees only!” commented Srijoy Mukherjee.
“Pick the right combinations! Just because you have someone 10+ crores doesn’t mean you have to play them all the 14 games!” wrote Sports Den India.
“Driving Jaddu away like this was not right. Now this bad luck will stay. The man who gave his all—you left him like this. What so different has Samson come and done?” asked Mukesh Joshi.
CSK last won the IPL in 2023
CSK last won the IPL in 2023, by defeating Gujarat Titans in the final. Since then, their performances have dropped alarmingly. In 2024, they finished 5th in the standings, while in 2025, they ended last. Currently, in 2026, they are last as well.
While Dhoni’s absence has dealt the Chennai-based franchise a huge blow, the other experienced players in their ranks, such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube and Sanju Samson, have failed to live up to the expectations of their supporters.
On Sunday, they scored 7, 18 and 7, respectively. It was left to Sarfaraz Khan (50), Prashant Veer (43) and Jamie Overton (37) to lend some respectability to the CSK total, before they were bowled out 43 runs short of their target with two balls left.
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