Ruturaj Gaikwad is currently performing the most dangerous tightrope walk in the IPL and the wire is starting to fray.
Leading the Chennai Super Kings was never just about board tactics. More precisely, it is about managing shared emotions. For Gaikwad, this responsibility has become a constant struggle to fit into a pair of shoes so huge they were perhaps never meant to be filled. He is not only fighting the opposition. He struggles with the lingering presence of Thala, a ghost who makes every bowling change questionable unless it yields a wicket.
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After a torrid start to the 2026 season, a three-match losing streak punctuated by a 43-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gaikwad finds himself in a difficult duality. He’s the official face of the franchise, yet operates in a shadow that refuses to budge, tasked with defending a legacy that remains unforgiving. What went wrong for CSK in IPL 2026? (Photo by Reuters)
Scrutiny has moved far beyond the polite confines of the pavilion into the tougher, data-driven court of public opinion. Gaikwad’s predicament is unusual. He faces a new-age CSK that has seemingly traded its father’s army identity for a Rs 30-crore youth-led experiment, yet continues to be judged by the exacting standards of a dynasty built on experience.
It is actually a psychological pincer. On one side sits a silent, injured MS Dhoni, the man who chose him but whose aura ensures that any successor appears temporary. On the other side is T20 World Cup winner Sanju Samson, a proven leader of the Indian Premier League, whose arrival has quietly created a ready-made alternative before the season gets properly settled. For Gaikwad, the captaincy has shifted from honor to control, a lens that magnifies hesitation.
This raises a crucial question. Why burden the franchise’s leading batting asset with the psychological weight of a transition he didn’t design? By forcing Gaikwad to navigate this moment, CSK risk dulling their sharpest blade. Management now faces a clear choice. Do they give him time and commit to a plan that seems fragile at the moment, or do they relieve him of the role of retaining players, even if it means conceding another failed succession?
DNA MUTATION
For more than a decade, CSK’s identity rested on the “Dad’s Army” philosophy. They were defined by experience, composure and a reluctance to panic. After the debacle of the 2025 season, where older players faltered and late trades offered little stability, the 2026 auction marked a sharp shift in direction. The franchise has definitely focused on the youth and has invested heavily in uncapped talents like Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma.
Still, this new iteration feels undercooked. The plan was built with the intention of defeating the adversaries and fell apart under the pressure of early time. With Dhoni out and Dewald Brevis unavailable for the opening matches, the batting lacked confidence. Both Gaikwad and Samson have struggled for rhythm at the top while the young middle order remains untested. The bowling attack, led by an unexpectedly ineffective Matt Henry, also collapsed, compounded by the pre-season retirement of Nathan Ellis. Ruturaj Gaikwad struggled with the bat in IPL 2026. (AP Photo)
With neither staff nor form, Gaikwad was trying to defend a structure with limited resources. RCB’s defeat exposed how thin this new team is at the moment.
TACTICALLY NOT MISSING?
However, it would be too appropriate to completely protect the captain. There is a growing sense of tactical inertia, especially in his control of spin, CSK’s greatest strength historically.
As a captain, he trusts his spinners noticeably less. It was evident in the way he handled the likes of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja last season.
Not playing in the opening game this year was youngster Prashant Veer who was tipped as Jadeja’s replacement after spending Rs 14.2 crore on him. And he hasn’t bowled in the last two games.
In Sunday’s match against RCB, the decision to introduce Noor Ahmed when Rajat Patidar was already deployed and dominant against spin suggested a lapse in reading the moment.
This waning sense of rhythm, once a defining feature of CSK management, has also crept into Gaikwad’s public persona.
There is a lack of clarity in the post-match interactions. At times Gaikwad seems to borrow Dhoni’s mannerisms without fully owning his voice. Where Dhoni was accurate, Gaikwad can drift. His criticism of the bowlers after the Punjab Kings chased down 210 at Chepauk felt misplaced, especially given that he had collapsed for 121 against Rajasthan days earlier. In trying to assert a calm authority, he risks clouding his own natural instincts.
PLAN B READY
The psychological weight of the dugout was heightened by the presence of Sanju Samson. Swapped amid a whirlwind of speculation, Samson is the future king who insists he is not waiting. As a senior batsman and a proven captain who has led Rajasthan Royals with distinction, Samson is a ready plan B.
While Samson has no immediate coup-like ambitions, his mere presence in the XI adds a layer of scrutiny to any change Gaikwad makes.
Also, confidence in captaincy is often a by-product of runs. Gaikwad, who fell short of a majestic ODI hundred late last year, hit a tipping point at the worst possible time. The pressure of the dry well is clearly bleeding into his decision making on the field.
HERITAGE AT THE CROSSROADS
We must remember that Gaikwad is a graduate of the 2020 batch, a group Dhoni famously dismissed for “missing spark” before Ruturaj proved him spectacularly wrong. He was the chosen one. But as the Ravindra Jadeja experiment of 2022 showed, anointing a successor is no guarantee of success.
The roots of the current situation lie in an inconsistent recruitment strategy. In 2024, Gaikwad operated with visible support from Dhoni and delivered a respectable campaign. However, the 2025 auction blurred the direction. CSK doubled down on experience and brought in the likes of Rahul Tripathi and Deepak Hooda, a decision that favored pedigree over form and culminated in a bottom-placed finish.
It was only after this setback that the franchise changed. The late additions of younger players signaled a reactive pivot that became a full transformation in the 2026 auction. It remains unclear how central Gaikwad was to these decisions. Whether he shaped this transition or merely manages its consequences is a question that remains. Ruturaj Gaikwad bats with young Ayush Mhatre. (AP photo)
This is not a one man crisis. It’s a team in transition, driven by a management group under pressure. The familiar security of CSK’s environment seems less assured, even under Stephen Fleming.
Finally, CSK stands at a crossroads. They have a young squad that will inevitably falter, yet they are led by a captain who is judged by the standards of an almost flawless era. Whether they turn to Samson or stick with Gaikwad will define their season.
Ruturaj Gaikwad still wears the crown but brings more questions than certainties in Chennai.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
06 Apr 2026 09:56 IST
