📅 Published: 19 April 2026✍️ By 365CBTF Expert Team
CSK — the five-time champions — finished dead last in IPL 2025 and are struggling again in 2026. KKR — defending champions — are winless after five matches. Two of the most storied franchises in IPL history are falling apart at the same time. Here's the definitive breakdown of what went wrong, who is responsible, and what it means for your IPL 2026 bets.
CSK
5 played · 2W 3L
4
points
KKR
5 played · 0W 4L 1NR
1
points
SRH
5 played · 2W 3L
4
points
RR
4 played · 4W 0L
8
leader
⚠ CSK Finished 10th in IPL 2025 — Dead Last
💀 KKR Winless After 5 Matches in IPL 2026
📉 Ruturaj Gaikwad — Highest Score Just 28 in 5 Innings
🩹 KKR Lost Harshit Rana & Akash Deep to Injuries
🔄 CSK Traded Jadeja & Sam Curran for ₹18cr Samson — Flopped
🏏 MS Dhoni Fit for Mumbai Match — CSK's Last Hope?
⚠ CSK Finished 10th in IPL 2025 — Dead Last
💀 KKR Winless After 5 Matches in IPL 2026
📉 Ruturaj Gaikwad — Highest Score Just 28 in 5 Innings
🩹 KKR Lost Harshit Rana & Akash Deep to Injuries
🔄 CSK Traded Jadeja & Sam Curran for ₹18cr Samson — Flopped
🏏 MS Dhoni Fit for Mumbai Match — CSK's Last Hope?
Two of the IPL's most iconic franchises are in freefall in 2026. Chennai Super Kings — five-time champions with an aura of invincibility — finished dead last in IPL 2025 and are battling inconsistency again this season. Kolkata Knight Riders — who won the title just one year ago in 2024 — arrived at IPL 2026 devastated by injuries and strategic misfires, remaining winless through five matches.
This is not random bad luck. Both franchises made structural errors at the auction table, misread team combinations, and are paying the price against a field that has grown sharper, younger, and more ruthless. This deep-dive analysis breaks down exactly what went wrong, which players have failed, and what betting opportunities these struggles create for IPL 2026.
📉
The Collapse — IPL 2026 Overview
After 27 matches of IPL 2026, a clear picture has emerged: the teams at the bottom of the table are not just losing — they are structurally broken. CSK and KKR's struggles are not one-match blips. They reflect auction miscalculations, leadership vacuums, and an inability to adapt to the modern IPL's pace and power-hitting demands.
🟡 CSK — SEASON SO FAR
Record2W — 3L
Position9th (bottom half)
Points4
NRRNegative
Captain FormGaikwad — max 28
Dhoni StatusFit for Mumbai
IPL 2025 Finish10th — LAST
🟣 KKR — SEASON SO FAR
Record0W — 4L — 1NR
Position10th (LAST)
Points1 (NR only)
Key InjuriesRana, Akash Deep
Green (Bat)56 runs, 5 innings
Batting OrderChanged every match
2024 IPL ResultCHAMPIONS 🏆
⚠ Historical Context
This is only the second time in IPL history that two of the competition's most successful franchises — CSK (5 titles) and KKR (3 titles) — have both been rooted at the bottom of the points table in the same season. The 2026 edition is reshaping the IPL's power hierarchy dramatically. Both teams face a genuine risk of missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Team Analysis · IPL 2026
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS CSK
5× IPL Champions · Captain: Ruturaj Gaikwad · Coach: Stephen Fleming
10thIPL 2025 Finish
2-32026 Record
28Gaikwad's Best
₹18crSamson Cost
💔
CSK — What Went Wrong in IPL 2026
Chennai Super Kings changed their philosophy after finishing rock bottom last IPL season. Their revamped squad — featuring six candidates for this season's emerging player award — failed its first test, getting bowled out for 127 in their opening match. The typical CSK player in 2026 is, as one analysis put it, "less grizzled mongrel and more doe-eyed starlet."
Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad has openly admitted that the team did not find the right combination, saying the problem was not about effort but about how the pieces fit together. He added that when combinations do not click early, it becomes difficult to recover later in the season, as teams tend to make frequent changes which further disrupt rhythm and clarity.
1
The Mega Auction Gamble That Backfired
CSK traded away Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja — two of their most reliable match-winners — to acquire Sanju Samson for ₹18 crore from Rajasthan Royals. Samson scored 6, 7, and 9 in his first three matches for CSK before eventually finding form. The loss of Jadeja's matchless all-round ability and Curran's death bowling remains irreplaceable. The auction decisions and squad balance have been cited as key reasons for CSK's struggles, with Gaikwad pointing out that teams have limited options in the second year of the cycle.
2
Ruturaj Gaikwad's Catastrophic Captaincy Form
Gaikwad has struggled for runs this season, with his highest score being just 28 across five innings. A captain scoring single digits in four of five matches places an enormous burden on the rest of the batting lineup. Unlike MS Dhoni, who led from the back and could absorb team pressure through experience, Gaikwad is both opening the batting and captaining — a dual burden that is exposing his lack of experience under IPL pressure at leadership level.
3
Overloaded With Youth — Inexperience Under Pressure
CSK assembled a batting line-up of six-hitters that was unable to cope with conditions requiring a broader skill set. Getting bowled out for 127 in a T20 game — needing a record tenth-wicket stand to reach that — exposed the team's inexperience when conditions demand restraint and batsmanship over pure aggression. CSK's famous ability to steady a ship and absorb pressure — perfected over years by Dhoni, Jadeja, and Curran — simply does not exist in this squad.
4
Death Bowling Weakness — No Curran Replacement
Bowling concerns and death over issues have been a key problem in CSK IPL 2026. CSK lost Nathan Ellis, and the team's bowling lineup has lacked the ability to defend or attack effectively in the final five overs. Sam Curran was specifically acquired as CSK's death-bowling specialist across multiple seasons. His replacement from the auction pool has not come close to matching that output.
5
MS Dhoni's Absence — The Calm That Was Missing
CSK are still without MS Dhoni, who is expected to be fit for the next game in Mumbai. While Dhoni's batting impact at age 44 is limited, his presence in the dressing room, his decision-making under pressure, and his calming effect on younger players has been evidently absent. The team has shown visible nerves in pressure situations that the Dhoni-era CSK never did. His impending return to the XI could be the psychological turning point CSK desperately needs.
🔦 The Silver Lining for CSK
Sanju Samson has rediscovered his T20 World Cup form, smashing an unbeaten century against Delhi Capitals and following it up with a 48 in their win over Kolkata Knight Riders. Young Ayush Mhatre has impressed with two fifties in four innings, and Anshul Kamboj has taken 8 wickets to lead the bowling charts. CSK have also won two of their last two matches. There is still a path to the playoffs — but it requires Dhoni's return, Gaikwad finding batting form, and the death bowling being fixed immediately.
Team Analysis · IPL 2026
KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS KKR
3× IPL Champions · 2024 Champions · Current Season: WINLESS
🏆IPL 2024 Champions
0-42026 W-L
3Key Injuries
1Points (NR only)
💀
KKR — The Defending Champions in Freefall
KKR's 2026 collapse is a masterclass in how quickly a champion can disintegrate. KKR lost much of their bowling firepower — Harshit Rana and Akash Deep to injuries and Mustafzur Rahman to non-cricketing reasons — and are yet to have Matheesha Pathirana in their squad. Even getting on the park feels like an achievement.
1
Three Key Bowlers Gone Before the Season Began
By their first game of IPL 2026, KKR were left with Blessing Muzarabani and Umran Malik as their only capped fast bowlers. Harshit Rana and Akash Deep — their two most potent pace weapons — had already been ruled out through injury, and Mustafzur Rahman was unavailable for non-cricketing reasons. KKR's title defence was effectively derailed before a ball was bowled.
2
Cameron Green — The Misplaced Million-Dollar Man
Cameron Green hasn't batted in the same position two games in a row, contributing to just 56 runs in five innings. Against CSK, he came out at No. 6 — a position where he has a highest IPL score of 17 not out — yet when batting in the top three, he has hit back-to-back fifties and a hundred. A management failure to settle their most expensive import into a fixed role has wasted his considerable talent completely.
Against Punjab Kings, they batted first when prevailing wisdom suggests chasing tends to be the better option. Against Sunrisers Hyderabad, they misjudged conditions and found themselves chasing 227 on a pitch that was slowing down in the second innings. KKR under Shreyas Iyer previously showed sharp tactical thinking. This season, even basic match-reading has been poor.
4
Middle Order Paralysed by Spin — Known Weakness Unaddressed
KKR ended up with a middle order of Rahane (119.59 SR), Rinku Singh (119.77 SR), and Angkrish Raghuvanshi (135.26 SR) — all of whom score slowly against spin. Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein combined for 8-0-47-4, exposing this weakness. KKR had made it easy for their opposition. This vulnerability against spin on turning Indian pitches was known entering the season and was not solved at the auction.
5
The "Champion's Curse" — Overconfidence & Squad Stagnation
KKR won IPL 2024 with a high-strike-rate top order and a relentless pace attack. Rather than evolving their blueprint for 2026, they retained the same structural philosophy while losing the bowling personnel who made it work. A combination of external factors and internal mis-steps has left this team firmly in difficult territory. Mumbai Indians showed you could win the title even after a horror run — so the IPL is saying there is still a chance.
📊
Key Player Form — CSK & KKR 2026
Below is the IPL 2026 form guide for the players most central to both teams' struggles and any potential recovery:
Player
Team
Role
Form (W/L)
Key Stat
Status
Ruturaj Gaikwad
CSK
Captain / Opener
Max 28 in 5 innings
⚠ Critical
Sanju Samson
CSK
Opener
100* vs DC, 48 vs KKR
↗ Recovering
Ayush Mhatre
CSK
Batsman
2 fifties in last 4 games
✅ Bright spot
Anshul Kamboj
CSK
Bowler
8 wickets — 3rd in table
✅ Strong
MS Dhoni
CSK
WK / Finisher
Fit for Mumbai game
↗ Returning
Cameron Green
KKR
All-rounder
56 runs, 5 innings, 5 diff positions
⚠ Misused
Harshit Rana
KKR
Pace Bowler
Injured — absent all season
❌ Out
Ajinkya Rahane
KKR
Opener
SR 119 vs spin — exploited
⚠ Weak vs spin
📜
Historical IPL Finishes — CSK & KKR
Both franchises have extraordinary IPL pedigrees — which makes their current struggles even more shocking. Here's how their finishing positions have fluctuated:
Chennai Super Kings — IPL Finishes
2018
1st
🏆 Champions
2019
2nd
Finalist
2020
7th
Bottom half
2021
1st
🏆 Champions
2022
9th
Near bottom
2023
1st
🏆 Champions
2024
5th
Eliminated
2025
10th
🔴 LAST
Kolkata Knight Riders — Recent IPL Finishes
2019
5th
Elim
2020
5th
Elim
2021
2nd
Finalist
2022
7th
Bottom half
2023
5th
Elim
2024
1st
🏆 Champions
2025
6th
Elim
2026
10th
🔴 Bottom
📊 The Pattern: CSK Bounce Back
CSK finished 9th in 2020 then won the title in 2021. They finished 9th in 2022 then won the title in 2023. This rubber-band pattern — bottoming out then bouncing back the very next year — is either remarkable resilience or a franchise that cannibalises its rebuilding seasons. If the pattern holds, 2027 could be very dangerous for CSK. But first they must survive 2026.
🔄
Can CSK & KKR Recover in IPL 2026?
With 44 league matches remaining for each team, mathematically both can still reach the playoffs. But can they actually turn it around?
CSK — Realistic Recovery?
✅
Dhoni Returns for Mumbai
His return will be the biggest psychological boost the squad can get. MS's calm, leadership, and finishing ability is exactly what this batting lineup needs in close games.
✅
Samson Found His Form
After three dismal matches, Samson's 100* vs DC and 48 vs KKR shows the ₹18cr investment has started to pay off. A settled, in-form Samson at the top is dangerous for any attack.
✅
2 Consecutive Wins
CSK have beaten KKR and won their last two matches. Momentum is building. If Gaikwad can bat at the top and contribute even moderate scores, the team has the firepower to win seven or eight more matches.
❌
Gaikwad Must Find Runs
A captain scoring a maximum of 28 across five matches is a crisis, not a blip. Until Ruturaj contributes significantly at the top, CSK's batting depth is exposed and pressure falls entirely on Samson.
❌
Death Bowling Not Fixed
Without Curran or a genuine death bowler, CSK remain vulnerable to big finishes from opposition batters. This cannot be patched mid-season without a major tactical rethink.
KKR — Realistic Recovery?
✅
Top Order Quality Still There
Phil Salt, Sunil Narine, and a fit Cameron Green in the top three is a formidable combination on paper. One big performance from Green at No. 3 could change everything for KKR.
✅
MI Precedent — It's Been Done
Mumbai Indians won the title after a horror run in the early stage of a season. 44 matches remaining means there is mathematical possibility. But KKR need to start winning immediately.
❌
Bowling Attack Remains Thin
Without Harshit Rana, Akash Deep, and Pathirana, KKR's bowling attack lacks the genuine pace and variety that made them champions in 2024. This cannot be fixed mid-season through substitutions alone.
❌
Spin Weakness — Structural Problem
Three core middle-order batters who score below 125 SR against spin on Indian pitches is a fundamental squad-building failure. Opposition spinners will continue to target this flaw in every match.
💰
IPL 2026 Betting Angles — How to Profit from CSK & KKR's Struggles
Team struggles create betting value — but only if you read the situation correctly. Here are the high-confidence betting angles arising from CSK and KKR's poor 2026 form:
💡 365CBTF Betting Analysis — CSK & KKR Matches
Match Winner
Back KKR's Opponents
KKR are winless in 5 with a broken bowling attack and unsettled batting order. Until Rana returns or Green is fixed at No. 3, back their opponents across all formats.
Odds typically 1.6–1.8
Top Batsman
Avoid Gaikwad — Back Samson
Gaikwad's max is 28 in 5 innings. Samson has found his T20 WC form. When betting CSK top batsman, Samson at 2.5–3.5 is far better value than Gaikwad at short odds as captain.
Samson: ~2.80–3.20
Session Runs
Under Powerplay Runs in KKR First Innings
KKR have consistently failed to capitalise in powerplays without their big-hitting top order clicking together. Under 48.5 in KKR powerplay is a consistent pattern this season.
Over/Under ~45–50 runs
Total Match Runs
Under When KKR Bowl
Without Rana and Akash Deep, KKR's attack is depleted. But opposition teams have been restricting KKR well. Look for KKR batting innings totals under 165 until their attack returns.
KKR innings: ~155–170
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