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    STUMP VISION                                                              MAY 01, 2026     |  The Indian Eye 40

                   The Twilight of the Gods: Inside

            the Implosion of MI, CSK, and KKR

                                                                                                                  From mismanaging Jasprit Bumrah’s
                                                                                                                  overs to bowling spin at both ends on
                                                                                                                  a flat Wankhede deck, Pandya’s tac-
                                                                                                                  tical “cardinal sins” have mirrored a
                                                                                                                  dressing room that appears fractured
                                                                                                                  and lacking the psychological resil-
                                                                                                                  ience of years past. The calm assur-
                                                                                                                  ance  that  once  defined  these  sides
                                                                                                                  has given way to visible uncertainty,
                                                                                                                  both tactically and emotionally.
                     ARCHAN MEHTA
                                                                                                                      Injuries  have  compounded  the
                                                                                                                  decline. Chennai’s bowling unit,
                  he grand old arenas of Wank-                                                                    once a hallmark of discipline, has
                  hede, Chepauk, and Eden
            TGardens are no strangers to                                                                          been severely weakened by the ab-
                                                                                                                  sence of key pacers. Without expe-
            drama but in IPL 2026, they echo                                                                      rienced heads to close out innings,
            with something far more unfamiliar,                                                                   their death bowling has unraveled
            the decline.                                                                                          under pressure. Similarly, Mumbai’s
                For nearly two decades, the tri-
            umvirate of Mumbai Indians, Chen-                                                                     reliance on a few marquee names has
                                                                                                                  exposed a lack of depth, especially
            nai Super Kings, and Kolkata Knight                                                                   when performances dip or key play-
            Riders shaped the very identity of                                                                    ers endure lean patches.
            the Indian Premier League. Titles,                                                                        And yet, the story is not entire-
            rivalries, and iconic moments flowed                                                                  ly devoid of hope. Individual bril-
            through these franchises. Yet, mid-                                                                   liance  continues  to  flicker;  young
            way through the 2026 season, that                                                                     players stepping up, veterans show-
            aura has dimmed dramatically. All                                                                     ing glimpses of form; but these mo-
            three now find themselves languish-                                                                   ments have remained isolated rather
            ing near the bottom of the points ta-                                                                 than transformative. The challenge
            ble, signaling not just a dip in form,                                                                for these franchises is not merely to
            but a deeper, systemic inability to                                                                   compete, but to reinvent. The IPL of
            keep pace with the league’s evolution.                                                                2026 demands aggression, adaptabil-
                The numbers offer a blunt as-
            sessment. Kolkata sit winless, rooted                                                                 ity, and data-driven clarity; traits that
                                                                                                                  newer teams have embraced more
            to the bottom with a campaign unrav-                                                                  readily.
            eling faster than anticipated. Mum-                                                                       For Kolkata, the equation  is
            bai, historically the most successful                                                                 stark. A winless start leaves no mar-
            franchise, have scraped together just                                                                 gin for error, with every remaining
            a single win. Chennai, though mar-                                                                    match effectively a knockout. Mum-
            ginally ahead, remain trapped in the   The departure of iconic figures like MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir from cen-  bai and Chennai face similarly steep
            lower half with a negative net run   tral leadership roles has left a vacuum that is yet to be convincingly filled (ANI file photo)   climbs, needing sustained momen-
            rate that reflects their inconsistency.                                                               tum  to  re-enter  playoff  contention.
            Combined, these three giants; who   that leaves little room for consolida-  tends to roles within the XI, where   History offers reminders of come-
            once accounted for the majority of   tion. In contrast, traditional anchors   players  have  been  shuffled  without   backs, but history alone cannot win
            IPL titles; are now locked in an un-  such as Ajinkya Rahane and Ruturaj   defined responsibilities, resulting in a   matches in a format that evolves by
            familiar contest: survival rather than   Gaikwad have struggled to adapt,   side that appears fragmented rather   the week.
            supremacy.                        often slowing the middle overs in a   than cohesive.                    As the league races ahead, one
                At the core of this upheaval lies
                                                                                    Leadership transitions have only
            a transformation in T20 batting phi-  format that now punishes hesitation.  intensified the instability. The depar-  truth stands out with brutal clarity.
                                                  Tactical rigidity has further ex-
                                                                                                                  Legacy commands respect, but it
            losophy. The modern IPL innings no   posed these teams. The Impact Play-  ture of iconic figures like MS Dhoni,   guarantees nothing.
            longer unfolds in phases; it explodes   er rule; designed to reward flexibili-  Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gam-  Because in the IPL’s unforgiving
            from ball one. Powerplay scoring   ty; has instead highlighted strategic   bhir from central leadership roles   present, yesterday’s giants are not be-
            rates have skyrocketed, with teams   gaps. While some franchises have   has left a vacuum that is yet to be   ing chased; they are being left behind
            aggressively targeting totals that once   mastered substitutions to tilt games   convincingly filled. Mumbai’s shift to
            seemed excessive. Sides like Royal   in their favor, Kolkata have faltered,   Hardik Pandya has been particular-  Archan Mehta is a writer dedicated to
            Challengers  Bengaluru  have  rede-  often making changes that yield lit-  ly  turbulent,  with  on-field  decisions   telling compelling stories about ath-
            fined intent, stacking runs at a pace
                                              tle advantage. The lack of clarity ex-  and team dynamics drawing scrutiny.   letes, teams, and the world of cricket

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