'CSK had a very average season throughout' - Abhinav Mukund

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bowling coach Eric Simons feels they have come away from IPL 2026 having "learnt a lot about ourselves as a unit and as individuals". But Abhinav Mukund isn't happy with the five-time champions' season at all. Abhinav said that the team "had a very average season throughout, with them not knowing their strengths at home because that is something that they take pride in," after CSK lost to Gujarat Titans (GT) to finish the season with 12 points and a seventh place (which could change) on the table. Player fitness was a major issue for CSK this season. MS Dhoni didn't play at all because of a calf injury. With a hamstring injury, their pace spearhead Nathan Ellis was out before the season even started. Then, at various points, they lost the services of Ayush Mhatre, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Khaleel Ahmed and Jamie Overton, the last of them at a crucial point when CSK were running up some wins with Overton playing a big role for them. "I think that's an important part of winning an IPL that you get your balance right, and you have a side that can carry itself through, and your changes are made a long way before the game - not because someone's out of form but because you're moving into a particular condition," Simons said at the press conference after the GT game. "So we know ourselves a lot better as a unit, and we also know a lot of the individuals better as to what they can and can't do. "Someone like Kartik [Sharma] came along magnificently this season. We know what he's about. We have clearly always known the names and roles of these seasoned players. But I do know that we've come away from this tournament understanding ourselves as a unit better, and that stands us in good stead. "Across the board, I believe we were either young or fairly inexperienced, and then we obviously had a lot of unfortunate injuries that... just as we were getting some momentum, we lose someone like Jamie Overton, who is such a balancing factor, so important to our bowling attack through the middle so we don't have to make crazy changes, and then he can also bat at the end of the innings." So that threw us a little off." CSK's season started with three losses in a row. Then came six wins in eight games. After that, yet another three defeats in a row. They had hoped to sneak into the playoffs with the six wins, but Abhinav said it was a false dawn because CSK beat none of the top teams. "As much as it looks like, 'oh yeah, they've got 12 points, and they had a decent season', to me a very big factor in that is 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," "In terms of your top-three and top-four sides, they haven't even been able to move the needle. "So you know the differential in that. You know the teams that are trying to compete with these top-four sides, and you know the teams that are not close. So I felt that CSK had a very average season throughout, with them not knowing their strengths at home because that is something that they take pride in. They are aware, from their successful seasons, that this is the team they want to play at home, and when they travel, they also possess a certain strength." Before the season started, responding to their bottom-of-the-table finish in IPL 2025, CSK made a raft of changes. The most significant was the exchange of Sanju Samson from the Rajasthan Royals (RR) for Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja. The other was breaking the bank for two promising young players: Prashant Veer and Kartik. "The Sanju Samson trade to me was successful because they addressed that issue at the top from the previous season. But after that, what happens to your bowling resources," Abhinav said. "In the auction, you got a lot of bowlers for cheap, but are they exactly the replacements you want? Are these the areas that you're looking for? I don't think so. "They have a lot to work on in terms of their overseas set-up because they've got Matt Henry, Matt Short, Zak Foulkes and Dian Forrester, all four who I don't think are going to make the cut for next season. [But] these are all guys that are part of the other [Super Kings] franchises. "But other than that, you've got Spencer Johnson, who comes in; Overton, Akeal [Hosein], Ellis and Noor [Ahmad]. These are the five options who would be retained. But then you've got three other overseas spots that you can fill with players who you need as back-up: Overton's back-up, Nathan Ellis' back-up. Matt Henry is not Nathan Ellis' back-up because their roles are very different. It's not Zak Foulkes, which is why you had to go Spencer Johnson. "I feel that there was a disconnect in the replacements that they picked as well or the back-ups that they picked in the auction. I would seriously have a rethink. That Indian talent is really good. I think there is a ceiling for them, and there is some way to go with regards to their best performances yet to come. [But] I would still back them. But you've got to work on your overseas replacements."