‘A Complete Failure’: Kris Srikkanth Rips CSK Captain Ruturaj Gaikwad Apart over IPL 2026 Exit

Following CSK's exit from the IPL playoffs, former selector Kris Srikkanth has heavily criticized captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Srikkanth labeled Gaikwad a 'complete failure' for his poor batting and captaincy, suggesting CSK should release him and try to buy him back for a lower price at the next auction.

After the Chennai Super Kings crashed out of the IPL playoffs, former Indian opener and chief selector Kris Srikkanth has come down heavily on captain Ruturaj Gaikwad. Srikkanth said CSK should release the out-of-form captain and try to buy him back for a much lower price at the next auction. He made these comments on his YouTube channel. This is the third straight season that CSK has failed to qualify for the league's playoff stage.

This season, Gaikwad played 14 matches but scored only 337 runs. His average was a mere 28.08, with a strike rate of 123.44. Besides his batting, Gaikwad also failed as a captain on many occasions. "

What the Chennai Super Kings should do now is release Ruturaj in the auction. It would be smart to try to get him back for a lower price. What Chennai needs right now is a foreign opener who can attack from the start. Look at what the Kolkata Knight Riders did with Finn Allen. Once he found form, KKR started winning. Actually, Ruturaj should be batting at number three. The fact that he is Chennai's second-highest run-scorer this season just shows the team's current decline."

‘Ruturaj Gaikwad a Complete Failure’

CSK had retained Ruturaj for a whopping ₹18 crore ahead of the mega auction. This season, Ruturaj opened the innings for Chennai with Sanju Samson. Srikkanth pointed out that while Ruturaj played a key role in CSK's title wins in 2021 and 2023, his current performance is pathetic.

"As a captain and as a batsman, he was a complete failure this season. In the last match, he was playing Test cricket. If he had scored just 15 more runs off those balls, Chennai could have won. Many might say you shouldn't judge a player on one bad season. But in professional cricket, there's no place for personal relationships," Srikkanth said.

"If he's released in the auction, I can get him back for half the price. Even if he goes to some other team, it's not a problem for Chennai; they can find someone new. They did the same thing with Devon Conway before." 

Srikkanth also made it clear that Gaikwad might not have a place in CSK's future plans. In the last two IPL seasons, Gaikwad has scored only 459 runs in 19 matches. This is a huge drop from his previous seasons, where he used to consistently score more than 550 runs for Chennai.