3 min readApr 6, 2026 09:09 PM IST Chennai Super Kings have endured a torrid patch early on in the IPL 2026 season, with three defeats exposing a chunk of problems within the five-time champions’ squad. While the inexperience of the bowling attack and the collective failures of the top order stars have hurt CSK big time, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan picked the failure of a marquee signing as the key reason behind CSK’s early setback. The former T20 World Cup winner observed that the indifferent form of wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad has rendered CSK’s spin department ineffective, exemplified during the 43-run hammering against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday night. The 21-year-old left-arm spinner was taken to the cleaners by the RCB batters, finishing with figures of 0/49 in four overs as the hosts piled on a whopping 250 on the board, their highest-ever score against CSK across 18 years. The Afghanistan spinner has yet to pick up a wicket in three games, worsening CSK’s woes with the ball. Besides …