Goa, May 16 -- Chennai Super Kings suffered a major setback in their IPL 2026 playoff campaign after a disappointing seven-wicket defeat against Lucknow Super Giants on Friday. The loss came at a crucial stage of the tournament and pushed Chennai down to sixth place in the points table with 12 points from 12 matches.

The business end of IPL 2026 has now arrived, with every result significantly affecting the playoff race. While no team has officially qualified yet, the margin for error has become extremely small, especially for sides placed outside the top four.

Chennai had staged a remarkable comeback in recent weeks after struggling earlier in the season. Three consecutive wins had revived their campaign and placed them firmly back in ...