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Former India and Chennai Super Kings spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has delivered his verdict on incumbent CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Ashwin opined that taking on the captaincy had affected Gaikwad's form with the bat as well. Gaikwad came under special scrutiny for his long and arduous knock against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday.
SRH qualify for playoffs, CSK almost out
On Monday, Pat Cummins' men got the better of Ruturaj Gaikwad's at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai - the latter's home ground. Gaikwad's decision to win the toss and bat first didn't quite go to plan. Samson played an aggressive cameo, but Gaikwad came under special scrutiny.
Despite being on the crease for more than an hour, Gaikwad made just 15 runs in 21 balls and did not hit any boundaries. Kartik Sharma and Dewald Brevis got aggressive starts, but SRH's pace battery of Pat Cummins, Eshan Malinga, and Sakib Hussain stopped CSK in their tracks and restricted them to 181.
CSK made early inroads to give themselves hope. Travis Head got out early, and Abhishek Sharma was uncharacteristically sedate. Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen put up an important partnership of 75, where Klaasen was especially severe on spin. Ishan Kishan then saw the chase through with his Player-of-the-Match-winning knock of 70.
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"The standards and expectations are high" - Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin spoke on JioHotstar and spoke about how the weight of expectattions associated with their legacy was holding the Chennai Super Kings back.
"Chennai Super Kings are clearly in a transition phase in the post-Dhoni era. It's important for everyone involved - fans, stakeholders, and the team - to recognize that rebuilding takes time," Ashwin said.
"The standards and expectations associated with CSK are incredibly high because of their legacy, but this group needs space and patience as they evolve." Ashwin then went on to talk about how Ruturaj Gaikwad was feeling the pressures of captaincy were affecting Gaikwad's ability to soak the pressure while batting.
"At the same time, the added responsibility of captaincy seems to have affected Ruturaj Gaikwad's batting. T20 cricket is already demanding, and carrying the burden of leadership alongside expectations from a franchise like CSK can have a significant impact on a player," Ashwin added.
Ruturaj Gaikwad in IPL 2026
Just like CSK, their captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, is not having a particularly good time in IPL 2026. In 13 matches, Gaikwad has made just 321 runs at an average of 29.18. The real problem, though, lies in his strike rate.
Over the course of this season, Ruturaj Gaikwad has struck at just 120.67. That is a poor strike rate in any era, let alone one where 180 is considered a low score. To his credit, Gaikwad has made two half-centuries as well.
CSK playoffs qualification scenarios
After their loss to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, CSK's hopes of making the playoffs hang by a thread. Apart from winning their last league match - against the Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on May 21 - they also have to hope for other results to go their way.
While it is possible for CSK to qualify without net run rate coming into the picture, that would require an extremely specific set of results to occur in the seven remaining league stage matches. In the more realistic scenario where CSK are stuck in an NRR battle, they no longer have the best NRR of the teams that can still reach just 14 points.
