Former cricketer Piyush Chawla has criticized the performance of Chennai Super Kings in the recent IPL 2026 match against Rajasthan Royals, stating that the team appeared disorganized and unprepared. In the match held at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati, CSK suffered an eight-wicket defeat, drawing strong disapproval from Chawla.
According to Chawla, with Dewald Brevis sidelined due to injury, CSK missed an opportunity to effectively use Sarfaraz Khan. Sarfaraz was brought in as an Impact Sub after CSK found themselves struggling at 19 for three in 3.1 overs. Despite scoring 17 runs off 12 balls, Sarfaraz was eventually dismissed LBW by Ravindra Jadeja.
Chawla, who had a brief stint with CSK in 2020, suggested that Sarfaraz should have been included higher up in the batting order and in the starting XI from the beginning, especially given Brevis’ absence. He emphasized the importance of clarity and strategic decisions in team selection.
In the match against Rajasthan Royals, CSK faced a dismal performance, being bowled out for 127 runs in 19.4 overs. At one point, they were teetering at 94 for nine in 15.3 overs, risking a sub-100 total before Jamie Overton’s resilient 43 off 36 balls salvaged some respectability for the team.
Rajasthan Royals comfortably chased down the target with 47 balls to spare, propelled by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s explosive 52 off just 17 deliveries, featuring four fours and five sixes. Looking ahead, Chennai Super Kings aim to recover from this defeat as they gear up to face Punjab Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday, April 3, for their first home match of the season.