Stephen Fleming may have voiced support for Ruturaj Gaikwad as Chennai Super Kings’ next captain in waiting, but the reaction after CSK’s loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad made one thing unmistakably clear: Gaikwad’s batting in IPL 2026 hasn’t delivered at the level expected from the skipper. The five-wicket defeat at Chepauk once again underlined what has been CSK’s recurring problem this season—too little aggression from the top of the order. Against SRH, that concern intensified around Gaikwad, whose innings in a must-win game started painfully slowly, leaving Chennai short on momentum when they needed to set the tone.
While other batters appeared willing to take on the bowling on a surface that offered reasonable batting conditions, Gaikwad struggled to find any rhythm, scoring only 15 runs off 21 balls. By the end of the powerplay, his numbers reflected the lack of tempo: he was on nine from 11 deliveries. The difficulty was compounded by the fact that CSK still managed quick early starts, with Sanju Samson and Urvil Patel giving the innings a platform. Yet once Gaikwad settled in, the chase for acceleration stalled, and the sluggish spell in the middle overs disrupted CSK’s flow, forcing extra pressure onto the rest of the batting line-up.
The turning point came when Pat Cummins dismissed Gaikwad with a sharp short ball, and by then the mood around Chepauk was already shifting. Fleming avoided a direct personal attack, but his comments carried a clear message about the franchise’s expectations from its captain. “I think Ruturaj can do more,” Fleming said after the defeat. “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.” For a leader at one of the league’s most powerful franchises, the scrutiny feels unavoidable now, particularly in a format where the early overs often decide the shape of the match.
Modern IPL cricket places a premium on attacking intent from the top order, especially during the powerplay, and Gaikwad’s approach across the season has frequently looked less in sync with the fearless batting style seen around the tournament. The timing of his innings also made the criticism even sharper. CSK went into the contest needing a win to keep their playoff chances within reach, yet their captain did not provide the urgency that a chase or a defend typically demands. Meanwhile, SRH’s batting later in the match showed far more clarity and aggression, as the visitors chased down the target with authority.
Ishan Kishan set the tone for Hyderabad’s successful chase with a smooth 70 off 47 balls, while Heinrich Klaasen struck 47 off just 26 deliveries, accelerating the innings when CSK’s bowlers needed to slow things down. SRH reached 181 in 19 overs and, as a result, officially qualified for the playoffs. In the context of that chase, Gaikwad’s slow knock became emblematic of CSK’s wider struggles this season—cautious batting, sluggish starts, and an inability to match the pace that contemporary T20 cricket requires to stay competitive in tight league games.
Even with the criticism, Fleming stressed that the franchise remains committed to Gaikwad as captain. He also urged supporters to allow time for a leadership transition that comes with its own learning curve, particularly as CSK continues moving on from the long reign of MS Dhoni. Fleming highlighted the scale of that change, saying, “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.”
However, the margin for patience is shrinking. With CSK now at risk of a third successive season without a guaranteed playoff berth, fan confidence is beginning to fray. The five-time champions are still mathematically in the hunt, but qualification is no longer only about winning their final league game. Their path now also depends on favourable results elsewhere, adding pressure to every remaining moment in the campaign.
