Former India batter Abhinav Mukund has labelled Chennai Super Kings' IPL 2026 campaign a 'very average season', arguing that the five-time champions secured their 12 points exclusively against lower-ranked opponents and never genuinely tested the tournament's elite sides. CSK ended the league stage in seventh place on the points table, a position that could still shift before the league stage concludes on Sunday.

Where CSK's Points Came From

Mukund, speaking on ESPNCricinfo, broke down the arithmetic behind CSK's tally with clinical precision. 'CSK had a very average season throughout with them not knowing their strengths at home because that is something that they take pride in,' he said. 'They beat DC (Delhi Capitals) twice, they beat MI (Mumbai Indians) twice, they beat LSG (Lucknow Super Giants) once, and KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) once. That's their 12 points.'

Crucially, Mukund argued that CSK's win-loss record against the top-four contenders told a different story. 'They haven't managed to even shift the needle in terms of your top-three, top-four sides,' he noted. The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side's most recent defeat — an 89-run loss to Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad — underscored the gap.

Injury Woes and Auction Missteps

CSK's campaign was compounded by a damaging injury list. Key players including MS Dhoni, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, and Khaleel Ahmed were all sidelined at various points, stripping the franchise of depth at critical junctures.

Mukund acknowledged that the Sanju Samson trade was a genuine positive — 'The Sanju Samson trade to me was a success because that's something they addressed from last season, the top' — but he was pointed in his criticism of the overseas recruitment strategy at the auction. He questioned whether the franchise secured the right back-up profiles for their frontline overseas options.

The Overseas Depth Problem

'They have a lot to work on in terms of their overseas set-up,' Mukund said. He cited Matt Henry, Matt Short, Zak Foulkes, and Dian Forrester as players unlikely to feature next season, while identifying Spencer Johnson, Overton, Akeal Hosein, Ellis, and Noor Ahmad as the five overseas options worth retaining.

The core of his critique was the mismatch in replacement logic. 'Nathan Ellis' back-up is not Matt Henry because they have significantly different roles,' he explained, adding that the franchise had failed to fill three overseas back-up slots with genuinely compatible alternatives. 'I feel that there was a disconnect in the replacements that they picked as well,' he said.

What CSK Must Fix

Despite his reservations about the overseas planning, Mukund expressed confidence in CSK's Indian talent pool, suggesting their best performances are still ahead. 'I would still back them. But you've got to work on your overseas replacements,' he concluded. This comes amid a broader reckoning for a franchise that has historically used home conditions and settled combinations as its primary competitive edge — an edge that appeared blunted in IPL 2026. How CSK restructure their overseas framework ahead of the next auction will be the defining question of their off-season.