CSK has no place for doubts: Hussey backs players to rise back from RR thrashing
IPL 2026: CSK batting coach Mike Hussey backed the team's batting unit despite a heavy loss, urging players to stay clear in their approach. He emphasised that one poor performance should not create doubt early in the season.
Chennai Super Kings batting coach Mike Hussey backed his players to stay confident despite a heavy defeat to Rajasthan Royals, insisting there is no room for doubt after just one game in IPL 2026. Hussey stressed that the team will continue to trust its batting group and avoid overreacting to the result.
CSK endured a disappointing start to their campaign, going down by eight wickets in Guwahati after being bowled out for 127. Speaking after the loss, Hussey maintained that the result does not change the team’s belief in its batting group.
RR vs CSK, IPL 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
“100%, we’ll still be backing this team. No questions about that. There’s no doubt about that. I’m sure a few guys will say, in hindsight, maybe I could have played a bit differently, but on another day it comes off, and they change the momentum of the game. I don’t want our batsmen moving forward to have clouded thoughts or put doubts in their minds, because I don’t think players perform at their best when they are second-guessing themselves,” Hussey said in the post-match press conference.
“I would prefer them to come in with a clear attitude and a clear plan on how they want to play, assess the conditions quickly, and then back themselves. If it comes off, great. If it doesn’t, that’s sometimes cricket. So I don’t want this performance to cloud or put doubt and fear into our team," he added.
HOW CSK READ THE GUWAHATI PITCH WRONG
The Guwahati surface, which had been under covers due to rain, offered early movement and assistance to seamers, something RR exploited perfectly after opting to bowl.
Reflecting on the conditions, Hussey admitted that CSK could have adapted better to what the pitch offered.
“I think if we had our time again, we may have tried to adjust to the conditions a little bit better. But generally speaking, around the country, the pitches are going to be pretty good for batting. So I’d expect much better batting performances in the future, especially if the pitches are a bit flatter," he said.
"It’s a good lesson for us. We need to take the learnings from this game that if the conditions aren’t perfect, maybe we need to adjust our approach a little bit and try to score our runs in different areas. We’ll definitely take a few learnings, but as I said, we want to put this one behind us pretty quickly and move on," he added.
On the field, Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger bowled disciplined lengths to dismantle CSK’s top order. Burger struck early to remove Sanju Samson, while Archer accounted for Ruturaj Gaikwad as CSK struggled to settle.
HOW CSK'S STAR-STUDDED BATTING FAILED VS RR
CSK’s collapse was not just about conditions, but a top order that failed to adapt despite its pedigree.
The spotlight was firmly on Sanju Samson, who had arrived after a headline trade from RR in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and on the back of a T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament run. However, his return against his former side was brief, as he fell early to Nandre Burger, undone by movement.
Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, expected to anchor the innings, also failed to adjust, exposing his stumps against Jofra Archer in a bid to break the pressure.
Young Ayush Mhatre, the Under-19 World Cup-winning captain, was hurried by bounce and fell soon after, as RR’s seamers kept CSK on the back foot.
Any hopes of recovery were then shut down by Jadeja, now in RR colours, who struck twice in quick succession to remove Shivam Dube and Sarfaraz Khan, reducing CSK to 57 for 6 inside eight overs.
From there, the innings never recovered. A late effort from Jamie Overton only added some respectability, but for a batting unit packed with reputation, it was a reminder that without adaptability, even star power can unravel quickly.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
Chennai Super Kings batting coach Mike Hussey backed his players to stay confident despite a heavy defeat to Rajasthan Royals, insisting there is no room for doubt after just one game in IPL 2026. Hussey stressed that the team will continue to trust its batting group and avoid overreacting to the result.
CSK endured a disappointing start to their campaign, going down by eight wickets in Guwahati after being bowled out for 127. Speaking after the loss, Hussey maintained that the result does not change the team’s belief in its batting group.
RR vs CSK, IPL 2026: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
“100%, we’ll still be backing this team. No questions about that. There’s no doubt about that. I’m sure a few guys will say, in hindsight, maybe I could have played a bit differently, but on another day it comes off, and they change the momentum of the game. I don’t want our batsmen moving forward to have clouded thoughts or put doubts in their minds, because I don’t think players perform at their best when they are second-guessing themselves,” Hussey said in the post-match press conference.
“I would prefer them to come in with a clear attitude and a clear plan on how they want to play, assess the conditions quickly, and then back themselves. If it comes off, great. If it doesn’t, that’s sometimes cricket. So I don’t want this performance to cloud or put doubt and fear into our team," he added.
HOW CSK READ THE GUWAHATI PITCH WRONG
The Guwahati surface, which had been under covers due to rain, offered early movement and assistance to seamers, something RR exploited perfectly after opting to bowl.
Reflecting on the conditions, Hussey admitted that CSK could have adapted better to what the pitch offered.
“I think if we had our time again, we may have tried to adjust to the conditions a little bit better. But generally speaking, around the country, the pitches are going to be pretty good for batting. So I’d expect much better batting performances in the future, especially if the pitches are a bit flatter," he said.
"It’s a good lesson for us. We need to take the learnings from this game that if the conditions aren’t perfect, maybe we need to adjust our approach a little bit and try to score our runs in different areas. We’ll definitely take a few learnings, but as I said, we want to put this one behind us pretty quickly and move on," he added.
On the field, Jofra Archer and Nandre Burger bowled disciplined lengths to dismantle CSK’s top order. Burger struck early to remove Sanju Samson, while Archer accounted for Ruturaj Gaikwad as CSK struggled to settle.
HOW CSK'S STAR-STUDDED BATTING FAILED VS RR
CSK’s collapse was not just about conditions, but a top order that failed to adapt despite its pedigree.
The spotlight was firmly on Sanju Samson, who had arrived after a headline trade from RR in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and on the back of a T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament run. However, his return against his former side was brief, as he fell early to Nandre Burger, undone by movement.
Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, expected to anchor the innings, also failed to adjust, exposing his stumps against Jofra Archer in a bid to break the pressure.
Young Ayush Mhatre, the Under-19 World Cup-winning captain, was hurried by bounce and fell soon after, as RR’s seamers kept CSK on the back foot.
Any hopes of recovery were then shut down by Jadeja, now in RR colours, who struck twice in quick succession to remove Shivam Dube and Sarfaraz Khan, reducing CSK to 57 for 6 inside eight overs.
From there, the innings never recovered. A late effort from Jamie Overton only added some respectability, but for a batting unit packed with reputation, it was a reminder that without adaptability, even star power can unravel quickly.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
