Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has come under massive scrutiny after another underwhelming outing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.
Following Chennai Super Kings’ disappointing five-wicket defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday, head coach Stephen Fleming openly admitted that Ruturaj Gaikwad has not delivered the kind of batting performances the franchise expected from him in IPL 2026.
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'I think Ruturaj Gaikwad can do more' - Stephen Fleming
Stephen Fleming did not shy away from questioning Gaikwad’s batting standards in IPL 2026 and stated that the CSK skipper himself would know that his performances have not been good enough.
“I think Ruturaj can do more. He's done more in the past. He's been a fine player at the top. He hasn't produced the quantity of runs and the pace of runs [this season] that he's done in his career. And that's something that he will address," Stephen Fleming said at the post-match press conference.
Ruturaj Gaikwad has struggled to produce the dominating starts Chennai Super Kings needed from their captain in IPL 2026. In 13 matches, the opening batter has scored 321 runs at an average of 29.18 and a strike-rate of 120.68, which is extremely poor considering the standards he has set for himself.
Stephen Fleming opens up on Ruturaj Gaikwad replacing MS Dhoni
Despite the criticism surrounding Ruturaj Gaikwad’s batting form, Stephen Fleming made it clear that Chennai Super Kings still fully back their captain.
He added that Gaikwad is well-liked by the Chennai Super Kings players and support staff, and replacing MS Dhoni was never going to be easy for any player. Stephen Fleming elaborated:
“This year, at least, he was here the whole time. Last year, he wasn't here at all. So it would be unfair to judge that. But, yeah, there's been a lot of work done behind the scenes as we learn about this group of players.”
“It's a big transition from having one of the best captains [MS Dhoni] in the cricket scene running the franchise for such a long time to a new captain. So it's going to take a little bit of time. But he's doing a good job. He has a massive amount of respect for this group of players. And he's learning all the time and putting that into play. So going forward, I have no doubt he'll be a fine captain for this franchise.”
Chennai Super Kings’ performance in IPL 2026 under Ruturaj Gaikwad
IPL 2026 has been a disappointing season for the Chennai Super Kings under Gaikwad’s leadership. The five-time champions currently sit sixth in the points table with 12 points from 13 matches.
Chennai Super Kings started the season with defeats against Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru before bouncing back strongly with wins over Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Mumbai Indians.
They also went on to register a hat-trick of wins over MI, DC, and LSG, but their defeat in the reverse fixture against the Rishabh Pant-led side, followed by a hammering against SRH, has dented their chances of making it to the IPL 2026 playoffs.
