Akeal Hosein or MS Dhoni magic? CSK coach reveals secret behind Noor Ahmad's stunning IPL 2026 comeback

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have made a stunning turnaround in the ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) thanks to their spin duo of Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein. CSK has won back-to-back matches to jump to the 8th spot in the IPL 2026 points table after losing three games on a trot.

On Tuesday, April 14, Chennai Super Kings crushed Kolkata Knight Riders by 32 runs after crushing Delhi Capitals by 23 runs in their previous game, both at home—MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Noor Ahmad shines

For the CSK vs KKR clash, the Chepauk pitch was slow, the ball was not coming nicely, and Noor Ahmad and Akeal Hosein used it smartly. Before this clash, Noor was struggling on flat pitches, but he clicked at the right time against the three-time champions.

Read Also: IPL to be held outside India! Australia planning something big ahead of T20 WC 2028

The left-arm spinner turned the match completely by taking three wickets for 21 runs in his four overs, breaking KKR’s confidence by removing Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, and Cameron Green. From the other end, Akeal Hosein kept things very tight.

The left-arm finger-spinner kept building pressure with his spell of 1 for 26. In the last two games, Noor scalped four wickets after his wicketless performance in his first three outings against the Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

However, Akeal has not taken many wickets, but he was economical for the CSK in his two games so far in the tournament.

MS Dhoni’s advice sparks Noor Ahmad's comeback in IPL 2026!

After crushing the struggling KKR, a story behind Noor Ahmad’s comeback has been revealed by CSK’s assistant bowling coach Sridharan Sriram. He revealed that the legendary MS Dhoni had spent time with the Afghan spinner in practice, helping him adjust his bowling.

Sridharan Sriram said at the post-match presentation in Chennai: “MS Dhoni had a long chat with Noor Ahmad in one of the practise sessions, getting his leg break to go so I think it was very helpful for him & the results were there to show.

Read Also: Big tension inside MI camp as Rohit Sharma skips practice, doesn’t travel with team

Akeal Hosein guides Noor Ahmad to find the perfect length, reveals Sridharan Sriram

And even during the match, Akeal guided Noor Ahmad about the right length to bowl on this slow pitch, and their guidance helped the young spinner to make a strong impact against KKR.

Sriram added, “Akeal was the one who went and told Noor about the exact length, that in between length that he needed to bowl. In first over, it was either a bit short or touch full but once he found that in between length, I think Noor was relatively unplayable.

Credit to Akeal as well because I was a part of that conversation in the timeout where Akeal was telling Noor about that in between length where the ball was just holding enough & hitting down the ground was not that easy.”

Now, CSK must be hoping to continue their momentum in the ongoing IPL 2026, where they will next face Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 18 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.