After a disastrous innings, Ruturaj Gaikwad gives a bizarre explanation for CSK's loss to SRH

After playing one of the slowest innings of the 2026 Indian Premier League season, Chennai Super Kings captain Ruturaj Gaikwad pointed to the bowling unit as a key reason behind CSK’s defeat against SunRisers Hyderabad in their final home match of the campaign on Monday 18.

Batting first at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in a must-win clash, Gaikwad suffered a disastrous outing with the bat. The CSK skipper managed just 15 runs from 21 deliveries and struck for barely 71.4 on a night when almost every other batsman around him scored more than double figures.

While Sanju Samson, Kartik Sharma and Urvil Patel all struck at rates above 160, Gaikwad’s innings completely halted Chennai’s momentum in the middle overs and played a major role in restricting the side to 180/7 in 20 overs.

CSK eventually lost the match by five wickets as SRH chased down the target in 19 overs to qualify for the play-offs.

RUTURAJ GIVES A BIZAROUS EXCUSE

However, when asked after the match where CSK could have improved, Gaikwad did not point to the batting performance and instead highlighted the bowlers’ inability to create pressure after taking wickets.

“Actually I don’t think anything, just conceding the opportunity right after you take the wicket. That’s where you want to put pressure on the opposition. I think we weren’t able to do that, especially after losing the wicket,” Gaikwad said in a post-match interview.

The comments did not go down well with fans, many of whom were already frustrated by the knocking of the ČSK captain in the virtual elimination game. Several supporters criticized Gaikwad on social media after a clip of the interview went viral online.

“In the post-match interview, Ravi Shastri tried hard to make Ruturaj Gaikwad realize that he was playing too slow and needed to increase the number of strokes, but bro was just not ready to agree,” wrote one fan on social media.

Despite the defeat, Gaikwad remained optimistic about the future of the franchise and backed the younger core of the team to come back stronger next season.

“Given the squad we had, the limited squad and whatever best combinations we had, I’m still proud and I still feel we did well,” Gaikwad said.

“Well, definitely. We are building. To be honest, I think there are a lot of positives. The addition of Sanju is a great sign. He is playing really well for us. Kartik Sharma played a great knock again today. So I think we are building,” he added.

CSK vs SRH, IPL 2026: Highlights | Scorecard

Chennai Super Kings now have 12 points from 13 matches and their playoff hopes hang in the balance. SRH’s win on Monday confirmed qualification for the playoffs for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, SunRisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans.

The battle for the final spot in the playoffs is now between five teams – CSK, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders. Apart from Rajasthan, each side remains dependent on other results heading into the final week of the league phase.

CSK will play their last match of the group stage against Gujarat Titans at Narendra Modi Stadium on 21st.

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Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

19 May 2026 01:41 IST