Manoj Tiwary has raised doubts over whether Ruturaj Gaikwad should continue as captain of Chennai Super Kings, arguing that the franchise may need to reassess its leadership direction after yet another uneven IPL campaign. Speaking after CSK suffered a five-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chepauk, Tiwary pointed to Gaikwad’s struggles with batting rhythm and suggested that the weight of following MS Dhoni could be impacting both his performances and his command of the team.
Key takeaways
- Tiwary questioned Gaikwad’s suitability to keep leading CSK after the side’s five-wicket defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chepauk.
- He said Gaikwad has not shown the batting “fluency” needed for a captain, while also struggling to match the intensity expected at the top.
- CSK are now on the verge of missing the playoffs and must win their final league game while relying on other results.
- Tiwary believes Dhoni’s absence has shown CSK can still win without him, but a captaincy and team-building rethink may be required.
- He hinted that Samson could be considered for the captaincy next season, given his prior leadership background with Rajasthan Royals.
Gaikwad’s lean night and the debate over CSK’s start
In Monday night’s match, Gaikwad endured another difficult outing. He managed only 15 runs off 21 balls on a pitch where clean timing was challenging, even though there were still scoring chances available. His slowest stretch came early, with the CSK captain producing just nine runs from 11 deliveries during the powerplay. It was also the second occasion this season when he completed the first six overs without landing a boundary.
That knock once again intensified criticism aimed at Chennai’s cautious approach at the top of the order. In an IPL where fast starts can quickly set the tone, critics argue that CSK often fail to seize early momentum—particularly when their captain is not accelerating. Tiwary acknowledged that taking over the role from Dhoni would always be among the toughest assignments in the competition, but maintained that Gaikwad should stop measuring himself against comparisons and instead shape his own captaincy identity.
“You said Ruturaj needs to fill his (Dhoni’s) shoes. I feel there isn’t any shoe of that size yet. He should focus on building his own legacy,” Tiwary said. “For that, he has to do extensive research on his past matches and identify where he needs to improve, and only after that can he prepare to be a captain next season. A captain can only be positive when he himself is scoring runs. But he isn’t scoring runs. He is lacking that fluency.”
Season totals, role expectations, and CSK’s playoff equation
The scrutiny has grown alongside Gaikwad’s overall output this season. Across 13 innings, he has scored 321 runs at a strike rate of 120.67. Tiwary and others have linked the numbers to the evolving demands of T20 cricket, where batters—especially those expected to set a platform—are increasingly expected to change gears at the right moments.
For much of the tournament, CSK’s batting plan has largely followed a split role: Sanju Samson has been seen as the aggressor at the beginning of innings, while Gaikwad has typically taken the anchor’s responsibilities from the other end. However, critics argue that Gaikwad’s reluctance to speed up when Samson fails to fire has repeatedly left Chennai chasing the match’s tempo rather than controlling it.
With the defeat to SRH, CSK have moved closer to elimination. Although they are still mathematically in the running, the five-time champions now need to win their final league match and also depend on results elsewhere going their way to secure a place in the playoffs.
Dhoni’s absence, captaincy possibilities, and Samson as an option
Even while criticizing Gaikwad’s form and approach, Tiwary pointed to one clear positive from the season: CSK have shown they can still win without Dhoni actively involved as a player. “As of now, we know CSK can win matches without Dhoni,” he said. “But if they change the captain, the wicketkeeper, nothing can replace his absence on the field. But rest assured, it has been confirmed that they can win matches without him. They now need to consider how to build the team.”
Tiwary also suggested the management may seriously consider a captaincy change ahead of next season. He brought Samson into the discussion, highlighting his past captaincy experience with Rajasthan Royals. “Let’s see if he remains the captain next season, because I feel that Samson is in the fray,” Tiwary said. “And it will be a good decision as well. If Chennai brought him for a specific reason, they might see him as a leader. Gaikwad has been the captain for two seasons, and that’s why they extended that period this season. But Samson could be the skipper next year. Irrespective of where they finish, they have to decide, and Samson is the best person because he led RR as well and is a good batsman as well.”
With CSK potentially set to miss the playoffs for a third straight season, the pressure on Gaikwad’s batting approach and leadership decisions is only expected to intensify as the league stage draws to a close.
