CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's lean patch raises concerns for champs

Despite CSK's recent wins in IPL 2026, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad is in a lean patch, scoring just 63 runs in five games. While a key player, his form is a concern, though Gaikwad himself feels a big score is just around the corner.

Despite Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) recent return to winning ways after two straight wins in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad is enduring a worrying lean patch with the bat, raising concerns for the five-time champions. Gaikwad has endured a difficult start to the IPL 2026 season, managing just 63 runs in five innings at an average of 12.60 and a strike rate of 105.0, with scores of 6, 28, 7, 15 and 7, indicating that he is still searching for rhythm at the top of the order.

Lead-up to IPL 2026

Last year, Gaikwad endured a truncated Indian Premier League 2025 campaign due to an elbow injury, managing 122 runs from five matches, including a top score of 63 at a strike rate of 150.62, before being ruled out early, which saw MS Dhoni step in to take over the captaincy.

At the previous Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Gaikwad featured in just one game for the Maharashtra cricket team before earning a call-up to India's ODI squad for the home series against South Africa, where he struck a composed 105 in the second ODI despite the team ending up on the losing side. He has since been active in List A and first-class cricket for Maharashtra, but entered the Indian Premier League 2026 without much recent exposure to representative T20 cricket.

A consistent performer for CSK

However, Gaikwad has firmly established himself as the franchise's premier opener and captain. Since his debut in 2020, the stylish right-hander has consistently delivered, amassing 2565 runs in 76 matches at an average of 38.28 and a strike rate of 136.43, including 2 centuries and 20 fifties.

'A big knock is just around the corner'

After a horror start to the 2026 IPL, CSK are back on a winning track with two back-to-back wins, after three straight defeats, climbing to eighth spot in the points table. After his side's 32-run victory over KKR on Tuesday, Gaikwad admitted that pressure and poor form had started affecting his mindset while batting, but the recent match helped him feel calmer and more confident again, and he remains positive that a big individual score is coming soon.

"I think, good to be on the winning side after a long time. I felt it was getting into my head even when I was batting, but after the last game, I felt a bit relaxed. I'm feeling really good. Just make sure that you do whatever the team needs, whatever the situation needs. And I feel even mentally, really good, feeling positive, and a big knock is just around the corner," Gaikwad said after the match on Tuesday. (ANI)

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