Chennai Super Kings finished their IPL 2026 run on a sour note. Facing the Gujarat Titans on Thursday, they just couldn’t handle Shubman Gill and his squad. CSK lost by a whopping 89 runs, knocking them out of the playoff race for good.
After the match, the IPL Governing Council really didn’t hold back. Ruturaj Gaikwad got slapped with a Rs 24 lakh fine for not keeping up the over-rate—and since this was his second strike, the whole CSK team got dragged into the punishment. Everyone else, including the Impact Player, got hit with Rs 6 lakh fines each.
Chasing 230, CSK stumbled right from the start. Sanju Samson went out for a golden duck. Even Shivam Dube’s brisk 47 from just 17 balls wasn’t enough to spark a comeback. Gujarat outplayed them, and that was that—CSK’s season was done.
The IPL’s official statement made it clear: Gaikwad’s Rs 24 lakh fine was for the slow over-rate, and the rest of the playing XI—including the Impact Player—had to pay either Rs 6 lakh or 25% of their match fee, whichever was lower.
With MS Dhoni’s future still up in the air and several players not living up to expectations, CSK probably needs to rethink their lineup before next season even starts.
