Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming has pushed back on criticism directed at captain Ruturaj Gaikwad after the opener’s tough stretch in the ongoing Indian Premier League. Gaikwad has managed only 63 runs across five innings, leaving him with the lowest batting total among openers who have taken the crease at least three times this season. His average sits at 12.60, while his strike rate is 105, numbers that have not reflected his reputation. Speaking ahead of CSK’s upcoming fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Fleming insisted Gaikwad is not far from turning things around. “He’s going fine,” Fleming said. “He hasn’t got the returns that he would want, and he is working hard on it. That’s sometimes just the nature of T20 cricket. He’s training well, he’s hitting the ball well, and he’s carrying a positive mindset—he just hasn’t managed to get away yet.”
Fleming added that the wider picture has remained encouraging, pointing to Gaikwad’s quality and the way form can swing quickly in the shortest format. “We’ve seen over the years that he’s a quality player,” he said. “If we can cover for him for a few matches and then he finds his rhythm, that’s exactly how an IPL season can unfold. Usually, very few players dominate consistently from start to finish, but when different batters come into form at the right moments and the performances mesh well, that becomes a real strength.” He also underlined that Gaikwad is receiving strong backing within the group and that the work continues in training despite the lack of big scores so far.
With the match set to be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, CSK will feel the conditions could offer Gaikwad the opening he needs. The venue has often supported high-scoring contests, and with Sunrisers Hyderabad’s bowling attack looking less battle-hardened in this phase, the opportunity is there for Gaikwad to make an impact early. Still, CSK know they cannot afford to waste a good start, especially when the opposition’s senior pacers are not managing to consistently trouble top-order batters. In their previous outing against the Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers were forced to hand debuts to two pacers, and the gamble paid off immediately—Sakib Hussain and Praful Hinge each finished with figures of four wickets.
Given that the CSK-SRH clash is also scheduled on the same pitch, Fleming’s side will want to ensure that the kind of efficiency shown by that pace duo does not repeat itself. The stadium has also been a fruitful one for Sanju Samson, who has accumulated 593 runs over 13 innings at a strike rate of 164.26. With Ayush Mhatre arriving after a couple of promising knocks, the environment may be conducive for CSK to revisit their top-order setup and explore options that can provide more stability at the start.
Fleming did not dismiss the idea of Mhatre being considered as a possible opener, but he made it clear that CSK will still lean on Gaikwad as the captain and the player they believe will deliver. “We discuss everything, so we’re always looking at different approaches,” he said. “You have to back your captain fully, and Rutu’s form will come good. He’s too good a player not to contribute in this line-up.”
Fleming also pointed to the momentum CSK have built recently, noting that two victories in their last two matches have restored confidence within the squad. However, he stressed that the team will need to be at their sharpest again to extend the winning run and climb into the upper half of the points table. “The two wins were much needed,” Fleming said. “We spoke about getting some confidence and some tangible evidence. We were a new group coming together, so we were desperate to get that first win. To get two in a row is a great feeling.”
At the same time, Fleming cautioned that the job is not finished and that the next contest is far from straightforward. “We still have a lot of work to do, and we know that,” he said. “This is a tough fixture for us. We’ve had some tough battles and difficult games here over the last few years, so we know we’re going to have to bring our best again.”
