Former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star Ambati Rayudu has predicted that the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side will fail to qualify for the Indian Premier League 2026 playoffs. Rayudu highlighted several weaknesses of the Chennai franchise ahead of their opening match against Riyan Parag-led Rajasthan Royals (RR).
The Super Kings are looking to recover after finishing at the bottom of the points table last year. To address their batting problems, the franchise bought star wicketkeeper Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, while trading away Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. However, Samson was not given the captaincy of the team.
I did not choose Chennai Super Kings in my top four – Ambati Rayudu
Speaking about his playoff predictions, Ambati Rayudu revealed his reasoning for excluding Chennai Super Kings from his top four teams. Rayudu pointed out the heavy reliance on inexperienced players in the team.
“I didn’t pick Chennai in my top four because, one, it’s just started the season. There are a lot of young names in that team, and we need to see how they fit into their roles as well in the playing XI,” Ambati Rayudu told ESPN Cricinfo.
Here’s why Ambati Rayudu didn’t put CSK in his top 4 picks for the season… pic.twitter.com/b0sedD4AqX
– ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) 30 March 2026
Super Kings will face Rajasthan Royals at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday, March 30. For the first time, Chennai Super Kings will play a match without MS Dhoni or Suresh Raina.
The franchise will likely debut 19-year-old Karthik Sharma and 20-year-old Prashant Veer against Rajasthan Royals. Karthik and Prashant are inexperienced and returning from injuries.
Another area that worries me is bowling – Ambati Rayudu
Ambati Rayudu expressed concern about the bowling attack of Chennai Super Kings. He acknowledged that Noor Ahmed can take wickets in the middle overs but pointed out weaknesses for the five-time champions during the powerplay and death overs.
“I still have some concerns about what role each player can play. Another area that concerns me is the bowling. Noor Ahmed is there to take wickets in the middle overs, but in the powerplay and death overs, I see some weaknesses.”
“I just hope they close those gaps and qualify. Can they qualify? Of course, they can. Will they qualify? Looking at the team on paper at the moment, probably not, but I hope they will.”
Chennai Super Kings facing injury crisis ahead of IPL 2026
Chennai Super Kings is facing injury crisis. Overseas batsman Dewald Brevis is unavailable for the opening leg of the Indian Premier League 2026 after suffering a serious side strain.
Brewis recently performed brilliantly for South Africa in the T20 World Cup 2026 and finished as the third-highest run-scorer behind Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton. CSK needed him in the middle order to attack the opposition spinners.
With MS Dhoni and Nathan Ellis already sidelined, losing Brevis leaves Chennai Super Kings in a difficult position. The franchise lacks a similar overseas replacement, as Matt Short usually plays in the top order, which is already dominated by established Indian batsmen.
Also read: Sikandar Raza breaks silence on Punjab Police’s allegations of ‘serious protocol violation’ against Lahore Qalandars