And then it was six.
As Marcus Stoinis bashed Anshul Kamboj back over his head for four, Punjab Kings sealed yet another win against Chennai Super Kings at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, consigning the host to its sixth consecutive loss at its once-impregnable home ground since the start of IPL 2025.
That run has coincided with a noticeable shift towards higher scoring at the venue. A flatter wicket, combined with a newfound exuberance among modern batters, has pushed scoring rates up. In this attacking turn, CSK has found itself left behind.
Across the 2025 season, no team scored as slowly as Ruturaj Gaikwad’s side in the first six overs, and Friday night suggested those problems could persist into 2026 despite the franchise’s efforts to revitalise its batting line-up.
New signing Sanju Samson fell in the second over for just seven, and though Ayush Mhatre swung freely to land a few blows, there was a sense that the final PowerPlay score of 57 for one was only about par on a surface with few demons.
Punjab Kings openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh needed just four overs to match that score, surging ahead of the rate. By the end of the first six overs, they had found the boundary 12 times compared to CSK’s eight.
More broadly, even though CSK eventually reached 209 for five, thanks to Mhatre’s breezy 73 and useful cameos from Sarfaraz Khan (32) and Shivam Dube (43 not out), there was a sense that it had laboured to a total that was only par.
There was no collapse, no need for a rescue act, but the innings never quite broke free of a steady tempo, resulting in a score that felt merely adequate. On Friday night, Punjab Kings scored 20 more runs in boundaries alone (146 to CSK’s 126), doing so in eight fewer balls. Its batters struck at 187.09 in the first 10 overs compared to CSK’s 154.09.
In short, CSK had come to a gunfight with a knife.
CSK coach Stephen Fleming admitted after the match that keeping pace with the ever-evolving IPL, particularly in the Impact Player era, has been a challenge.
“Look, it has moved quickly. There’s no doubt players have come through. In this competition, the Impact rule has a massive part to play. In other tournaments around the world, it’s not as frantic, which changes the dynamic of cricket and probably sways it a little towards batting power.”
“One of the greatest challenges in T20 franchise cricket is securing talent, and that is becoming difficult as teams bundle players. That’s one of the challenges, but we are constantly looking at where the game is going next and trying to secure players we think will be the next big thing.”
There are, of course, caveats. CSK was without Dewald Brevis and MS Dhoni, two players capable of adding ballast in the middle overs, while the likes of Samson and Kartik Sharma did not come off but can score more quickly if they settle.
There is still time in the season for CSK to show that Friday was an aberration. But to do so, it must take the bigger plunge, committing to an attacking brand of cricket that redefines what par means for the team.
Published on Apr 04, 2026
