Chennai Super Kings batting coach Michael Hussey has admitted that every remaining game in IPL 2026 now feels like a final for the five-time champions after their damaging defeat to Lucknow Super Giants left their playoff hopes hanging by a thread. CSK suffered a comprehensive loss in Lucknow on Friday night as Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh produced one of the most destructive innings of the season. Marsh smashed 90 off just 38 deliveries, helping LSG comfortably chase down 188 on a lively surface at the Ekana Stadium.
The defeat has placed serious pressure on Ruturaj Gaikwad and his side, who now sit on 12 points from 13 matches. With only two league games remaining, CSK must win both fixtures and depend on other results going their way to stay alive in the IPL 2026 playoff race. Speaking after the game, Hussey remained optimistic despite the setback and said the pressure-filled final phase of the tournament is what makes the IPL so exciting.
“Well, I mean, I actually love this time of the tournament because every game is like a final, you know, and we’re in that situation now,” Michael Hussey said. “We’re going to have to win our last two matches. I mean, I haven’t studied the table that closely. Yeah, there’s a lot of teams fighting out for probably the last couple of spots in the top four,” he added.
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The former Australian batter stressed that the pressure is not only on CSK but also on several other teams battling for playoff qualification.
“This is the stage of the tournament where the pressure is really on everyone, not just us, but all the other teams as well. And you can see some crazy things happen. So we’re still in with a chance… we still have belief that we can make it through,” Hussey stated. Michael Hussey also echoed the calm approach shown by skipper Gaikwad after the loss. While acknowledging that CSK’s path has become difficult, he insisted the franchise still believes it can produce a late turnaround.
“We’re obviously going to have to take care of our business. Probably need a couple of results to go our way as well. But that’s the nature of this tournament. And I feel like it’s really building to a really nice climax,” he said.
The CSK batting coach praised his side’s effort with the bat, especially considering the pace and bounce available on the pitch. According to Hussey, posting 187 was a competitive total against a strong LSG bowling attack. “Our guys did a pretty good job to get to that score, 187. I thought it was a good effort to get there because it did look challenging. They had a good pace attack, hit the pitch hard, got some good pace and bounce, so it was a really good effort,” he explained.
However, Hussey admitted CSK failed to execute their bowling plans early in the chase. He pointed to the opening partnership between Marsh and Josh Inglis as the decisive factor in the game. The former opener also felt the Australian duo benefited from conditions that resembled home surfaces.
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“They obviously were going to come out pretty hard, take their chances, and if they get away, they’re hard to stop. Mitch Marsh and Josh Inglis both enjoy playing on those sort of faster, bouncier pitches coming from Australia. So there was a bit of an advantage there and then once they get their confidence up and impose themselves on the game, then it can be hard to stop,” Michael Hussey added.
He concluded by saying CSK’s primary objective was to pick up early wickets and apply pressure through the middle overs, but Marsh’s aggressive approach completely shifted momentum in LSG’s favour. “The plan was to try and get a couple of early wickets and then really put the pressure on them through the middle. We just couldn’t unfortunately break that opening partnership until it was probably a little bit too late,” Hussey concluded.
