While it managed to take a point from its encounters against UP Yoddha and Telugu Titans, it returned empty-handed after its losses against Bengaluru Bulls and Bengal Warriors. The Thalaivas currently has seven points from five games, with a score difference of -14.

Throughout the home leg, the defensive displays were shoddy and it cost the side dearly. The Chennai-based team picked up only 40 tackle points, averaging eight per game, which is the second worst in the league thus far.

Left cover defender C Arun, who was retained by the Thalaivas ahead of Season 6, has only one point to his credit despite featuring in all five matches. J Darshan has suffered a huge dip in form, collecting only four points. Only the corner defenders, Manjeet Chhillar and Amit Hooda, have had noticeable outings in the defensive department. While the former tops the chart with 16 points, the latter has 11 under his belt.

Another worrying stat is the number of points conceded, 180 in total. A lot of advanced tackles which have been unsuccessful have hugely contributed to the side’s failure. In spite of hunting in numbers, the Thalaivas has failed to prevent opposition raiders from crossing the midline at crucial junctures. The five-point raid by Bulls’ Pawan Kumar Sehrawat was just an indication of how the defence lacked co-ordination and consistency.