Stephen Fleming may have voiced support for Ruturaj Gaikwad as Chennai Super Kings\u2019 next captain in waiting, but the reaction after CSK\u2019s loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad made one thing unmistakably clear: Gaikwad\u2019s batting in IPL 2026 hasn\u2019t delivered at the level expected from the skipper. The five-wicket defeat at Chepauk once again underlined what has been CSK\u2019s recurring problem this season\u2014too 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s flow, forcing extra pressure onto the rest of the batting line-up.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s expectations from its captain. \u201cI think Ruturaj can do more,\u201d Fleming said after the defeat. \u201cHe\u2019s done more in the past. He\u2019s been a fine player at the top. He hasn\u2019t produced the quantity of runs and the pace of runs this season that he\u2019s done in his career. And that\u2019s something that he will address.\u201d For a leader at one of the league\u2019s most powerful franchises, the scrutiny feels unavoidable now, particularly in a format where the early overs often decide the shape of the match.<\/p>\n
Modern IPL cricket places a premium on attacking intent from the top order, especially during the powerplay, and Gaikwad\u2019s 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\u2019s batting later in the match showed far more clarity and aggression, as the visitors chased down the target with authority.<\/p>\n
Ishan Kishan set the tone for Hyderabad\u2019s successful chase with a smooth 70 off 47 balls, while Heinrich Klaasen struck 47 off just 26 deliveries, accelerating the innings when CSK\u2019s 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\u2019s slow knock became emblematic of CSK\u2019s wider struggles this season\u2014cautious batting, sluggish starts, and an inability to match the pace that contemporary T20 cricket requires to stay competitive in tight league games.<\/p>\n
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, \u201cIt\u2019s 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\u2019s going to take a little bit of time.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Stephen Fleming may have voiced support for Ruturaj Gaikwad as Chennai Super Kings\u2019 next captain in waiting, but the reaction after CSK\u2019s loss to Sunrisers…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":10816,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026: Fleming Questions Ruturaj Gaikwad Form After CSK Loss","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"CSK\u2019s loss to SRH sparks scrutiny of Ruturaj Gaikwad\u2019s IPL 2026 form as Stephen Fleming raises concerns over the top-order batting.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n