Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (PTI) Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad found himself in the record books for the wrong reasons after registering the slowest fifty of IPL 2026 during a tough outing against Gujarat Titans in Chepauk.Gaikwad’s half-century came off 49 balls, making it not only the slowest fifty in the current season but also the slowest in the Impact Sub era since 2023. The previous slowest this season was Rishabh Pant’s 43-ball effort against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Hyderabad.
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Justin Langer on LSG’s batting failure and opening team bowlingSlowest IPL 50s for CSK in the IPL53 P Patel vs PBKS Chennai 201051 M Hayden vs MI Gqeberha 200950 M Vijay vs PBKS Mohali 201349 M Vijay vs RR Jaipur 201349 D Smith vs MI Wankhede 201449 R Gaikwad vs GT Chennai 2026The knock also ranks Gaikwad among the slowest fifties in CSK history alongside names like Parthiv Patel, Matthew Hayden and Murali Vijay. While an innings of 74 not out off 60 balls helped CSK reach 158 for 7, it reflected the wider struggles of the batting unit on the day.On a lively Chepauk surface that offered sharp bounce, the Gujarat Titans bowlers dictated the terms early on. Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada cashed in on a steep delivery and forced errors to reduce CSK to 28 for 3 in the over. An early collapse put Gaikwad in a rebuilding role, slowing down the scoring significantly.As the wickets kept falling, Gaikwad took a cautious approach, the balls piled up and CSK reached 50 in only the 12th over. Although he eventually found some fluency with a couple of late boundaries and sixes, the delayed acceleration meant the innings never gained momentum.In a season dominated by high-scoring encounters, this knock stood out as a reminder that the conditions still dictate the tempo and on this occasion CSK failed to adjust in time.
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