Chennai
Super Kings are ninth in the Indian Premier League after ten games. They’ve won
three, two during Ravindra Jadeja‘s turbulent reign and one shortly after MS
Dhoni’s return as captain.

CSK fans
gained new hope after their victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad, but it didn’t
take long for everyone to realize that even with Dhoni at the helm, the
defending champions will struggle to find enough belays to avoid an early exit
from the tournament.

Also read: IPL 2022 : How have retained players performed thus far, from Virat Kohli to MS Dhoni

As of now,
four teams have 12 or more points, with the Gujarat Titans sitting atop the
standings. With eight wins from ten games, the Hardik Pandya-led Titans have 16
points, which many consider to be a cut-off mark for a top-four finish.

Lucknow
Super Giants are second with 14 points from ten games, while Rajasthan Royals
and Royal Challengers Bangalore have 12 points each from ten and eleven games,
respectively.

Then there’s
the ever-present danger of the chasing pack.

Sunrisers
Hyderabad (five wins in nine) and Punjab Kings (five wins in ten) both have ten
points. The Delhi Capitals are also in the running. Mumbai Indians are already
out of the playoff picture, while Kolkata Knight Riders, with four wins in ten
games, are also in doubt.

Also read: IPL 2022: Virender Sehwag slams Chennai Super Kings for taking away captaincy from Ravindra Jadeja

To make the
playoffs, Chennai Super Kings must win their remaining league games against the
Delhi Capitals (on May 8), Mumbai Indians (on May 12), Gujarat Titans (on May
15), and Rajasthan Royals (on May 20) by large margins, then hope for a
miracle. The maximum number of points that Chennai Super Kings can now have is
14.

In previous years, 16 points would have been enough to qualify a team for the playoffs, but with two new teams joining the IPL, the battle for the top four berths will be fierce.

Dhoni, for
one, continued to emphasize that “it is the mistakes and the process that
matter rather than where you are in the points table.” They are, however,
in a position of no return, at least for the time being.