Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have made a spectacular comeback in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) thanks to their spin duo of Noor Ahmed and Akeal Hosein. After losing three consecutive games, CSK has won two consecutive matches and reached 8th position in the points table of IPL 2026.
On Tuesday, April 14, Chennai Super Kings defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 32 runs after defeating Delhi Capitals by 23 runs in their previous game, both at home grounds – MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
noor ahmed shine
For the CSK vs KKR encounter, the Chepauk pitch was slow, the ball was not coming well and Noor Ahmed and Akeal Hosein used it smartly. Before this encounter, Noor was struggling on flat pitches, but he clicked at the right time against the three-time champions.
Also read: IPL will be held outside India! Australia is planning something big ahead of T20 WC 2028
The left-arm spinner completely turned the match around by taking three wickets for 21 runs in his four overs and destroyed KKR’s confidence by dismissing Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh and Cameron Green. Akeal Hosein kept things very tight from the other end.
The left-arm finger spinner continued to apply pressure by taking 1 wicket for 26 runs. In the last two matches, Noor took four wickets without taking any wicket in his first three matches against Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Although Akil has not taken many wickets, he has been economical for CSK in his two matches so far in the tournament.
Noor Ahmed returns in IPL 2026 on MS Dhoni’s advice!
The story behind Noor Ahmed’s comeback after crushing struggling KKR has been revealed by CSK assistant bowling coach Sridharan Sriram. He revealed that the great MS Dhoni had spent time with the Afghan spinner in practice, which helped him adjust his bowling.
Sridharan Sriram said at the post-match presentation in Chennai: “MS Dhoni had a long chat with Noor Ahmed in a practice session, his leg break was going on, so I think it was very helpful for him and the results came.
Also read: Big tension inside MI camp as Rohit Sharma did not practice, did not travel with the team
Sridharan Sriram reveals that Akeel Hosein guided Noor Ahmed in finding the right length
And even during the match, Akil guided Noor Ahmed about the right length to bowl on this slow pitch and his guidance helped the young spinner make a strong impact against KKR.
Sriram further added, “Akil was the one who went and told Noor the exact length between which lengths he had to bowl. In the first over, it was either a little short or touch full, but once he found that in between the lengths, I think Noor was relatively unstoppable.
Credit also goes to Akil because I was part of the conversation in the timeout where Akil was telling Noor about the length in the middle where the ball had a lot of grip and was not so easy to get down the ground.
Now, CSK will hope to continue their momentum in the ongoing IPL 2026, where they will next face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 18 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
