15 runs in 21 balls, 0 boundaries: CSK fans bash Ruturaj Gaikwad

Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad had a nightmare in the last home game of the season against SunRisers Hyderabad on Monday, May 18. After opting to bat first in a must-win contest, Gaikwad struggled badly with the momentum and ended up slowing down CSK’s innings at a crucial stage of the match.

Ruturaj opened the batting alongside Sanju Samson and tried to anchor the innings on the difficult Chepauk surface. However, at a time when anchor batsmen often operate at strike rates above 140, the CSK skipper managed just 15 off 21 balls before finally losing his wicket in the 12th over.

CSK vs SRH, IPL 2026: Update | Scorecard

At the time of his dismissal, Chennai had climbed to just 100 runs despite having wickets in hand, putting further pressure on the middle order in a game they could not afford to lose.

The slow knock immediately drew criticism from fans on social media, especially as the batsmen around him looked much more comfortable with the pace of the surface. While Ruturaj scored at a strike rate of just 71.4, Sanju Samson, Kartik Sharma and Urvil Patel all scored at a strike rate well above 160 during their cameos.

WAS THE UPPER SIDE OF CHENNAI TOUGH?

One of the main factors behind Ruturaj’s match seemed to be the nature of the pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Chennai Super Kings prepared a black soil surface in an apparent attempt to neutralize the explosive SunRisers Hyderabad batting line-up.

While this tactic may have been aimed at slowing down SRH later in the match, it also ended up trapping CSK’s own captain.

Ruturaj looked particularly uncomfortable against the cutters and slower deliveries bowled by Pat Cummins and Sakib Hussain. Instead of taking chances, the opener largely focused on rotating the batting and preserving his wicket, a strategy that never really allowed CSK to break free during the middle overs.

Notably, Ruturaj failed to hit a single boundary in his entire innings and finished without a four or a six in one of the slowest knocks of the IPL 2026 season.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

18 May 2026 20:59 IST