Hyderabad and Gujarat head to IPL playoffs as Chennai fades

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans will breathe easier after joining Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs on Monday, but Chennai Super Kings are on the brink of elimination after suffering a seventh defeat of the season.

Bengaluru won their first IPL title last year and were the first to book their place in the playoffs this season. Hyderabad joined them after a five-wicket win over Chennai, a result that also assured Gujarat of a place.

Punjab Kings are fourth in the 10-team tournament with one game left to play but their destiny is not in their own hands.

Rajasthan Royals are only a point behind with two games left, while Chennai and Delhi Capitals also trail Punjab by a point but with one match to go.

It has been a disappointing campaign for Chennai, who won five titles under Mahendra Singh Dhoni before he passed on the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad in 2024.

Gaikwad’s own form has been patchy this season, and the opener has largely failed to capitalise on the powerplay overs, scoring at a pedestrian strike rate of 120.67.

“I think Ruturaj can do more,” Chennai head coach Stephen Fleming said after Monday’s home loss to Hyderabad.

“He’s done more in the past. He’s been a fine player at the top. He hasn’t produced the quantity of runs and the pace of runs that he’s done in his career. And that’s something that he will address.”

Former New Zealand captain Fleming was aware that failing to make the playoffs three years in a row could spell the end of his stint at Chennai.

“I’d say it’s a choice for the management,” Fleming said. “I know we’re judged on results, that’s fair. So it’s the management’s call, not mine.”

Meanwhile, the opening game of the 2026-27 season of Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) is set to be played in Chennai in December, according to media reports on Tuesday.

Cricket-mad India is a lucrative market for any league and a Cricket Australia (CA) delegation was in Chennai this week for a reconnaissance of the MA Chidambaram Stadium, which serves as the home ground of Chennai Super Kings in IPL.

“We are exploring the potential of Chennai in partnership with the Australian Government to deepen the India-Australia relationship,” a CA representative was quoted as saying by the Indian Express newspaper.

Indian cricket board (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia did not immediately reply to Reuters’ request for a comment.

Brisbane Heat CEO Terry Svenson backed the move to shift the tournament opener to India.

“We’ve had the opportunity to discuss this with CA and are supportive of the initiative,” Svenson told the Australian Associated Press.

“The Brisbane Heat have been one of the competition’s best-performing teams off the field with a strong international following through social media, so we look forward to further discussions with CA.”