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Former India and Chennai Super Kings spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has given his verdict on current CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Ashwin said that taking over the captaincy has also affected Gaikwad’s bat form. Gaikwad came under special scrutiny for his long and difficult innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday.
SRH qualifies for playoffs, CSK almost out
On Monday, Pat Cummins’ team got the better of Ruturaj Gaikwad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, their home ground. Gaikwad’s decision to bat first after winning the toss did not go as planned. Samson played an aggressive cameo, but Gaikwad came under special scrutiny.
Despite being at the crease for more than an hour, Gaikwad scored only 15 runs in 21 balls and did not hit any boundaries. Karthik Sharma and Dewald Brevis got the aggressive start, but SRH’s pace battery of Pat Cummins, Ishan Malinga and Saqib Hussain stopped CSK in their tracks and restricted them to 181.
CSK took an early lead to give themselves hope. Travis Head was out early, and Abhishek Sharma was uncharacteristically unconscious. Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen put on an important partnership of 75 runs, where Klaasen was particularly critical on spin. Ishan Kishan then chased down the target with his player-of-the-match winning innings of 70 runs.
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“The standards and expectations are high” – Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin spoke on JioHotstar and explained how the burden of expectations attached to his legacy is holding Chennai Super Kings back.
“Chennai Super Kings is clearly in a transition period in the post-Dhoni era. It is important for everyone involved – fans, stakeholders and the team – to understand that rebuilding takes time,” Ashwin said.
“The standards and expectations attached to CSK are incredibly high because of their heritage, but this group needs space and patience to develop.” Ashwin then talked about how Ruturaj Gaikwad felt that the pressure of captaincy was affecting Gaikwad’s ability to handle pressure while batting.
“At the same time, the added responsibility of captaincy has affected Ruturaj Gaikwad’s batting. T20 cricket is already demanding, and carrying the burden of leadership along with the expectations from a franchise like CSK can have a significant impact on a player,” Ashwin said.
Ruturaj Gaikwad in IPL 2026
Like CSK, their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is also not having a very good time in IPL 2026. Gaikwad has scored only 321 runs in 13 matches at an average of 29.18. However, the real problem lies in his strike rate.
During this season, Ruturaj Gaikwad has scored only 120.67. This is a poor strike rate in any era, let alone a case where 180 is considered a low score. Gaikwad has also scored two half-centuries.
csk playoff qualification scenario
CSK’s hopes of reaching the playoffs are hanging in the balance after the loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Apart from winning their last league match against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on May 21, they will have to hope for other results as well.
While it is possible for CSK to qualify regardless of net run rate, it will require a very specific set of results in the remaining seven matches of the league stage. In a more realistic scenario where CSK is stuck in the NRR battle, they no longer have the best NRR of the teams who can still only reach 14 points.