Chennai Super Kings’ captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (PTI Photo/R Senthilkumar)

Chennai Super Kings are in unfamiliar territory. For a franchise built on consistency and calm starts, losing the first two matches of an IPL season has been a rare occurrence. In fact, it has happened only twice in their history — first in 2022 under Ravindra Jadeja and now again in IPL 2026 under Ruturaj Gaikwad. What makes the stat even more striking is that under MS Dhoni, CSK went nearly two decades without such a start, highlighting just how unusual the current situation is for the five-time champions. The latest setback came against Punjab Kings, who chased down a stiff target of 209 at Chepauk to hand CSK their second successive defeat. Led by Shreyas Iyer, Punjab executed a near-perfect chase, winning by five wickets and registering their second consecutive victory. Iyer’s 50 off 29 balls was the cornerstone of the chase, as he stitched a crucial 59-run stand with Nehal Wadhera. The chase was set up early by Priyansh Arya’s explosive 39 off just 11 balls and further stabilised by contributions from Prabhsimran Singh and Cooper Connolly, ensuring the required run rate never spiralled out of control. Earlier, CSK had put up a competitive 209 for five, thanks largely to a brilliant 73 off 43 balls from young Ayush Mhatre. The youngster dominated the Punjab attack with fearless strokeplay, finding boundaries at will and showcasing his growing confidence. He was well supported by Gaikwad, who added 28 in a 96-run stand for the second wicket. However, the innings wasn’t without setbacks. Sanju Samson fell early, edging an ambitious shot behind the wicket, and the middle overs saw a slowdown as CSK managed just 45 runs between the 10th and 15th overs.Late contributions from Sarfaraz Khan and Shivam Dube helped CSK add 64 runs in the final five overs, pushing the total past 200. But it ultimately proved insufficient against a composed Punjab batting unit. The numbers paint a deeper concern for CSK. Gaikwad is currently enduring the longest losing streak by a captain in the franchise’s history:

For a team that thrived on stability under Dhoni, these back-to-back defeats — and the extended losing run under Gaikwad — underline a phase of transition. The challenge now is not just about bouncing back in the tournament, but about rediscovering the consistency that once defined Chennai Super Kings.