“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change,” Charles Darwin.
The theory is also applicable in cricket. From the era of Test cricket to 60 overs ODI, and now the era of Twenty20 cricket. Cricket has changed a lot. Because of the invention of the franchise league, the ‘gentleman’s game’ has become a medium of mass entertainment.
In between the flashes of light, pyro, and firecrackers, at the end of the day, the result matters the most. The most consistent team takes the trophy and becomes the king of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the most successful franchises in the league with 5 titles each. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have three. Once, the teams used to dominate, but are now struggling to get into the top four in the ongoing season. Why?
Reasons why the giants are limping in IPL 2026:
1. The Fall of the IPL Giants: MI, CSK, and KKR Losing Their Edge:
Why are the three giants in the league currently thriving in IPL 2026? In short, the answer is adaptability. The format is no longer limited to individual brilliances. To win a long-format tournament like the IPL, teams will have to forge a group of talented performers.
When the Mumbai Indians, the Chennai Super Kings, or the Kolkata Knight Riders were at the helm of the league, they had some brilliant players who could shift the momentum of the matches at any time. For example: MS Dhoni (CSK), Rohit Sharma (MI), and Rinku Singh (KKR). These are some of the cricketers who gifted multiple wins to their respective franchises in the must. Now, their teams are struggling.
Bowlers are delivering with more smartness. Coaches are well aware of the style of the opposing players. Rinku Singh’s emergence was a sensational instance. The KKR batter dominated back-to-back seasons with his aggressive batting style. He is struggling. Mi’s Suryakumar Yadav is struggling. Nowadays, bowlers know who to bowl where.
Wasim Jaffer has made an interesting comment recently. He asked Suryakumar Yadav to keep a Plan B ready to regain his form. Here, the ‘Plan B’ is synonymous with adopting the change.
2. A Complete Shift in How the Game Is Being Played:
The impact player rule has made a significant impact on the league. Some may support the rule, some not, but there is no way to avoid it. Teams are liable to play by the rules. This rule helps all of the IPL teams to make strategic changes during batting or bowling. Based on the situation of the match, teams have the freedom to choose an impactful player who is capable of taking the match away from the opponents. Sameer Rizvi, Asutosh Sharma, Ayush Mhatre, and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are some of the most impactful batters in IPL 2026. All of them are young, bidding talents. IPL is now tremendously influenced by the young bloods.
Back in 2007-08, during the inception of the league, fans were crazy to see the stars from different nations playing for the same team. Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Sanath Jayasurya, Shane Watson, and many other overseas stars, for the first time, came to play for Indian clubs, with their Indian rivals. Fans turned on the television screens to watch these stars playing for their own city teams.
The definition of ‘Star’ has been changing. After Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, there are barely any who can carry the Superstar tag now.
3. New-Age Teams Are Playing a Different Brand of Cricket – And It’s Working:
The teams that understand the scenario in advance and make decisions in advance are now doing well in IPL 2026. Punjab Kings (PBKS), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Gujarat Titans (GT) are some of the teams that are performing well. PBKS are the peak example of displaying a team game.
Without any big names, they have developed their playing style in a significant way. RCB have Virat Kohli, but the team is not entirely dependent on the batter. In their triumphant IPL season in 2025, along with Virat, captain Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt, Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and the other players of the team had an equal amount of contribution behind the successful campaign.
In contrast, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) possess the star power in the form of Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, and Heinrich Klaassen in the batting order, but they are still struggling to hold on to momentum, as they are failing to perform as a unit.
Same for the Mumbai Indians. Whenever they are in trouble, they need to rely on the stars- Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Santner. As a result, they are not in the bottom half of the table.
KKR’s heavy investment in Cameron Green instantly earned him the ‘star’ tag. Rinku Singh and Varun Chakravarthy are among the attractions of the team as well. Captain Ajinkya Rahane, Ramadeep Singh, and Rovman Powell are all seasoned campaigners. Like MI and CSK, KKR is also in the bottom half of the IPL 2026 points table.
CSK went for a complete overhaul ahead of the IPL 2026 season. They secured the services of the young guns like Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, a rejuvenated Sarfaraz Khan, topped by the reliable Sanju Samson, and a bunch of emerging, underrated bowlers. Slowly but surely, they are starting to get the desired results. They have defeated MI by a massive 103-run margin, which is a statement from the team.
4. Adapt or Fade: What MI, CSK, and KKR Must Do Next:
Either adapt to the situation or welcome the harsh reality; these are the two options these three giants have in front of them. The formula for survival is simple: create a well-combined team with multiple emerging, new generation talents, and then keep trust in the process.
CSK have adopted the process. Once, the franchise, which was known for trusting the experienced candidates, has turning their head towards the new talents. The exclusion of Ravindra Jadeja from the team marks a new era for the team.
MI and KKR will have to accept the reality, or will have to live only with those good old days memories.
Read More: Ex-KKR star calls Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav main culprits for MI’s poor run in IPL 2026
