Last
night at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Tushar Deshpande walked into
bowl the final over with Gujarat Titans needing 11 runs to win. He nailed one
yorker after another in the middle to stun Ahmedabad — a death-bowling
masterclass that gave Rajasthan Royals a famous six-run victory.
The
cricket was breathtaking. But for CSK fans watching, it was something else
entirely.
It was
painful.
The Man CSK Let Go
Chennai
Super Kings trusted Tushar Deshpande to perform the role that Dwayne Bravo once
did for them. Because Deshpande had defensive skills that could often turn a
batter's strength into a weakness.
CSK
played him for three seasons — 2022, 2023 and 2024. He picked up 39 wickets in
31 matches for CSK including a four-wicket haul. He was their most consistent
pacer across those two seasons. Their Bravo replacement. Their death-overs
answer.
And they
released him.
Last
night, Jofra Archer and Tushar Deshpande executed a death-bowling masterclass
for RR, defending 15 runs in the last two overs. Deshpande dismissed Rashid
Khan on the penultimate ball to seal the win. The same Deshpande CSK no longer
wanted.
Three Decisions. Three Regrets.
The
Twitter post that went viral last night — 439K views and counting — put it
brutally:
Sameer
Rizvi released after two or three bad games. He is now winning back-to-back
Player of the Match awards.
Ravindra
Jadeja traded for Sanju Samson. Jadeja then won the match against CSK in RR's
IPL 2026 opener.
Tushar
Deshpande released. He became a death-over hero for Rajasthan Royals last night
against GT.
Three
players. Three decisions. Three times watching your own released player hurt
someone else — or hurt you directly.
The Death Bowling Void
Ahead of
IPL 2026, CSK suffered a major blow with Nathan Ellis set to miss the
tournament entirely due to a hamstring injury. Former India all-rounder Irfan
Pathan said directly — "Pathirana used to perform this role for many
years, but when he went to the auction you let him go. Now Chennai no longer
has him. So, who will fill that role? This is a very big question."
The
answer, based on what we have seen so far in IPL 2026, is — nobody.
CSK have
no Deshpande. No Ellis. No Pathirana.
They
have a death bowling crisis — and they built it themselves, one bad decision at
a time.
IPL Bench Verdict
CSK
remain one of the most loved franchises in cricket history. Five titles.
Countless memories. A legacy that nobody can take away.
But
right now, in April 2026, their management is making decisions that are
genuinely hard to defend. Releasing proven players too early. Trading
match-winners away. Failing to find replacements. And then watching those same
players win games for other teams.
The
Yellow Army deserves better. And until CSK's management stops gifting their
best death bowlers to rival franchises — the trophies will keep going somewhere
else too.
X post courtesy: @CricketCentrl
Comments
Post a Comment