IPL 2026: Uproar on Guwahati pitch, former Indian legend defends pitch curator after Rajasthan vs Chennai match

News India Live, Digital Desk: In IPL 2026, the low-scoring match played between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati has sparked a new debate. While fans and some experts are raising questions about the slow pace of the pitch, a former Indian cricketer has strongly defended the pitch. He believes that the score of 127 runs was not a fault of the pitch, but was the result of a mistake in the strategy of the batsmen. Was the Guwahati pitch really a ‘villain’? The struggle for runs was clearly seen in this match between Rajasthan and Chennai. The team that came to bat first after winning the toss could score only 127 runs, which is considered very low in terms of T20 cricket. There was criticism of the pitch after the match, but former Indian player Abhinav Mukund dismissed it. Mukund argues that this wicket was not so bad that 150-160 runs could not be scored here. He supported the pitch curator and said that we should not expect 200 runs in every match. Questions were raised on the technique and shot selection of the batsmen. Abhinav Mukund, while analyzing, said, “It was not a wicket of 127 runs.” According to him, the batsmen of both the teams made a mistake in understanding the pace of the pitch. The Guwahati pitch was a bit slow, but there were runs available for the batsmen who stayed and played. Mukund stressed that it is important to have some help for the bowlers in T20 cricket, otherwise the game will become one-sided. He advised the batsmen that they should change their technique on difficult pitches and not blame the pitch. What are the lessons for Chennai and Rajasthan? This low-scoring match has forced both Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings to rethink their strategies. The lesson for captains like Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad is that if the pitch is not playing as expected, then strike rotation becomes more important than ‘power hitting’. This win-loss difference of Guwahati has made the playoff race even more exciting, and now all eyes are on the next matches to be held on this ground.