It has been a struggle for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and their skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad, in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. CSK have won just one of their first four matches and are currently in the bottom two in the points table. At the forefront of their poor show this season has been their skipper, who has struggled to find form.
In IPL 2026, his scores have been 6 (11), 28 (22), 7 (3), 15 (8), and today against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he scored 7 (6) at Chepauk. In fact, his poor form in the tournament is a continuation from the last season, where he had to pull out after just five matches due to an injury. He did slam a couple of fifties, but it was part of the worst season for CSK, where they finished at the bottom of the table.
Among captains who have batted at least 10 times in the IPL since 2025, Gaikwad has the worst average (18.5) and the worst strike rate (131.2), which further shows the 29-year-old’s declining form.
Captaincy a burden?
That did not look the case in 2024, in which he slammed 583 runs at 53, to go with a strike rate of 141.6. However, under his leadership, CSK are yet to make the playoffs, which is a cause for concern for the five-time champions.
Following his impressive form in domestic cricket, Gaikwad returned to the Indian side, where he slammed his maiden ODI hundred against South Africa in December last year. He last played a T20I for India in 2024 against Zimbabwe, against whom he scored 7, 77*, and 49 in his three innings.
Gaikwad is the fourth-highest run-getter for CSK with 2,565 runs in 75 innings, which includes two tons and 20 fifties since making his debut in 2020.
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