Michael Hussey admitted Chennai Super Kings must treat their remaining IPL 2026 matches like finals after a crushing defeat to Lucknow Super Giants pushed them into a must-win situation.
Chennai Super Kings batting coach Michael Hussey admitted that the five-time champions are now entering a virtual knockout phase in IPL 2026 following their disappointing loss against Lucknow Super Giants.
CSK suffered a comprehensive defeat at the hands of an already-eliminated LSG side, where Mitchell Marsh’s explosive 38-ball 90 powered Lucknow to a comfortable chase of 188 on a pace-friendly surface. The defeat left Ruturaj Gaikwad’s men stranded on 12 points from 13 matches, severely denting their playoff hopes.
Speaking after the match, Hussey acknowledged the pressure surrounding Chennai’s remaining fixtures but insisted the team still believes qualification is possible.
“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,” 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 said.
“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,” he added at the post-match press conference.
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Michael Hussey Explains Why IPL 2026 Is Heading Towards A Dramatic Finish
Despite the setback, Hussey remained optimistic about CSK’s chances and described the ongoing playoff battle as one of the reasons why the IPL continues to remain one of the most competitive tournaments in world cricket.
The former Australian batter stated that Chennai not only needs to win its remaining matches but also depends on other results falling in place.
“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.
“And that’s why I think it’s one of the best tournaments in the world, because at this stage of the tournament, you know, there are only two teams that are actually definitely out. Even the teams that are below us are still a chance, you know, theoretically, to make the final. So I think it’s an awesome opportunity for everyone. But, yeah, that’s the way we’ll be looking at it,” Hussey said.
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