Chennai Super Kings closed their IPL 2026 season with an 89-run defeat to Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad after conceding 229/4 before being bowled out for 140. Eric Simons, speaking at the post-match press conference after Chennai Super Kings’ defeat against Gujarat Titans, said the campaign ultimately gave the franchise greater clarity around squad balance, player roles and the development of several younger cricketers despite an inconsistent season disrupted by injuries and frequent tactical adjustments.
Simons reflects on squad balance and younger players
CSK handed opportunities to several younger players during the tournament, including Kartik Sharma, Urvil Patel and Ayush Mhatre, while injuries repeatedly forced the side to reshape combinations across both batting and bowling departments.
“I think a lot of the positives come around the fact that we started getting an understanding of ourselves as a unit. I think that’s an important part of winning an IPL, is 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. 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,” Simons said.
He added: “Someone like Kartik has come along magnificently this season. We know what he’s about, Urvil, we know what he’s about. Obviously, the established players, we’ve always known who they were and what they are. 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.”
Simons says Dhoni will decide his own future
MS Dhoni did not feature during IPL 2026 because of injury concerns, although Simons said the veteran wicketkeeper-batter continued striking the ball strongly during practice sessions.
“Are you seriously asking me that question? We always are. I mean, honestly, he has hit the ball so well. He obviously had a leg injury, which made it very difficult for him to run, so that’s why he couldn’t play. But in terms of hitting the ball in the nets, he’s hitting it as well as I’ve ever seen him hit it. But I keep saying this, only MS will know, and MS will make the decision about when he’s ready and when he’s right,” he said.
“And I tell you what, if he knows he’s not, he won’t play. But if he is right, he will. He’ll make the decision in the best interest of the team and not for himself as an individual. But it will be great to have him playing. It’s been great just having him around the unit and being someone to tap into for knowledge and calmness,” Simons added.
Injuries and inconsistency shaped CSK’s season
The franchise struggled to build sustained momentum during the second half of the tournament as injuries continued affecting team balance. Jamie Overton’s absence in particular left CSK short of a middle-overs bowling option who also offered batting depth lower down the order.
“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, we’re quite a young or reasonably inexperienced side, and then we obviously had a lot of unlucky injuries along the way. Just as we were gaining momentum, we lost someone like Jamie Overton, who is such a balancing factor in our team. He is so important to our bowling attack through the middle overs so we don’t have to make radical changes, and he can also bat at the back end of the innings. Losing him threw us off a bit, but we’ve learned a lot about ourselves both as a unit and as individuals,” he said.
“I think each player goes away with something to work on. As a bowling coach, I put reports together for each guy to go for the next nine months to come back an improved player, like we saw Anshul (Kamboj) come back from last season,” Simons added.
CSK will now enter the off-season assessing squad composition, overseas balance and player availability ahead of next year’s IPL campaign, while Dhoni’s long-term playing future remains undecided.
