IPL 2026: CSK register thrilling victory, knock LSG out of playoff contention

Chennai: The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), led by Rishabh Pant, have suffered a disastrous campaign in IPL 2026. LSG has become the first team in the current Indian Premier League season to be eliminated from the race for the IPL playoffs. Pant's brigade suffered a five-wicket defeat at the hands of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday, a result that extinguished even their faint hopes of reaching the playoffs. LSG currently sits at the very bottom of the points table, occupying the tenth spot. They have a mere 6 points to their name. The Lucknow team has won three of its 11 matches while losing eight. LSG has now recorded a 'shameful hat-trick'; this marks the third consecutive season in which the Lucknow team has failed to qualify for the playoffs. In both 2024 and 2025, LSG finished in seventh place on the points table.

How Was LSG's Explosive Start Thwarted?

Meanwhile, the Chennai Super Kings bolstered their own playoff aspirations by defeating the Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets. Urvil Patel equaled the record held by Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal by completing his half-century in just 13 balls. He played a blistering innings of 65 runs off 23 balls, studded with eight sixes and two fours. Despite an aggressive innings of 85 runs off 33 balls by Josh Inglis, CSK restricted LSG to a total of 203/8 and went on to register a victory by scoring 208 runs for the loss of five wickets in 19.2 overs. Inglis, smashing six sixes and 10 fours during his innings, had propelled LSG's score to 112 runs by the end of the ninth over. However, led by Jamie Overton, the bowlers managed to curb LSG's scoring rate by taking four wickets for just 35 runs between the 10th and 15th overs.

Did CSK Chase Down a 200+ Target for the First Time?

Overton claimed three wickets for 36 runs in his four overs, a haul that notably included the dismissal of Josh Inglis. Noor Ahmad claimed one wicket for 24 runs in four overs, while Anshul Kamboj took two wickets but conceded 47 runs. Chasing the target, Sanju Samson (28 runs off 14 balls) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (42 runs off 14 balls) provided the team with a blistering start. After playing some attractive shots, Samson was dismissed in the fourth over off Rathi's bowling.

Subsequently, Urvil Patel batted aggressively, single-handedly turning the tide of the match during the Powerplay itself. At the end of the Powerplay, CSK's score stood at 97 runs for the loss of one wicket. Shivam Dube (15 not out) smashed two consecutive sixes in the final over against Aiden Markram, enabling Chennai to successfully chase down a target of over 200 runs for the first time. Prashant Veer remained unbeaten on 17 runs. With their sixth victory in 11 matches, CSK has climbed to the fifth position in the points table with 12 points.