“You are expected to contribute” – Murali Kartik’s blunt remark on struggling Indian star ahead of CSK vs MI IPL 2026 match 

Former India cricketer Murali Kartik believes that it is high time that Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star all-rounder Shivam Dube starts to chip in for the team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign. The recent T20 World Cup 2026 winner has had a mediocre season with the bat so far, scoring only 150 runs in eight matches at an average of 30.00 and a strike rate of 140.19.

Shivam Dube began his season with a poor outing against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, where he scored just six runs. Since then, he has scored over 20 runs in an innings only thrice, and has also been bowled in his last three outings.

The southpaw’s unconvincing outings have had a massive role to play in CSK’s inconsistency as they lie seventh in the points table ahead of a crucial home clash against rivals, the Mumbai Indians (MI).

Murali Kartik noted that the players like Shivam Dube and Dewald Brevis need to take up ownership and responsibility if CSK wish to make a playoffs charge in the second half of the season.

“In the last match, Gaikwad was playing on 20 or 22 after 37 balls, it was very strange, then Shivam Dube has not shone this year, there are a lot of expectations from you, you are an Indian player, you are a World Cup winner, you are expected to contribute. In the last match, Dewald Brevis played a poor shot at the wrong time. So, it is important that the players own up,” Murali Kartik said on Cricbuzz.

Dewald Brevis has not been able to be an influence in the middle-order like last season. The South African, who missed the start of the campaign due to a side strain, has scored only 64 runs at an average of 16.00 and a strike rate of 120.75.

“There is no stability in the team selection” – Manoj Tiwary on CSK’s concerns ahead of IPL 2026 clash against MI

Former India batter Manoj Tiwary has highlighted CSK’s poor team selection over the course of IPL 2026. The five-time winners have changed their combination multiple times, and have had to come up with another change in the batting unit after Ayush Mhatre’s recent season ending injury.

“There is no stability in the team selection. They sometimes play Kartik Sharma, sometimes Prashant Veer plays. When Prashant Veer plays, he is not given the ball. Akeal Hosein may be from West Indies, but may be has some Indian blood, because he bowls clever left arm spin,” the former cricketer said.

A win for CSK will keep them involved in a mid-table muddle with the likes of Delhi Capitals (DC) and Gujarat Titans (GT) for a playoff spot. However, a loss could drage them down to near the bottom of the table alongisde Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).