IPL 2026: ‘Ruturaj can do more’ – Stephen Fleming’s blunt verdict after Gaikwad’s painful knock

Stephen Fleming may have publicly endorsed Ruturaj Gaikwad as the future captain of Chennai Super Kings, but his comments after CSK’s defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad also sent a clear message – the captain’s batting was not good enough in IPL 2026. CSK’s five-wicket defeat in Chepauk once again revealed the team’s biggest problem this season: a lack of intent at the top. And much of the focus fell on Gaikwad after another painfully slow innings in a must-win game. While the other batsmen looked set to strike on a decent batting surface, Gaikwad struggled badly with momentum, managing just 15 runs off 21 balls. He was crawling on nine from 11 deliveries at the end of the over, despite Chennai getting off to a fast start from Sanju Samson and Urvil Patel. The slow knock damaged CSK’s momentum in the middle overs and added pressure on the rest of the batting line-up. When Pat Cummins dismissed him with a sharp short ball, frustration around Chepauk was already starting to mount. Fleming did not directly criticize his captain, but his remarks made it clear that the franchise expects much more from Gaikwad. “I think Ruturaj can do more,” admitted Fleming after the loss. “He’s done more in the past. He’s been a great player at the top. He hasn’t produced the amount of runs and the rate of runs (this season) that he’s had in his career. And that’s something he’s going to address.” Criticism is now inevitable for a player leading one of the biggest franchises in the league. Modern IPL cricket requires aggressive scoring from the top order, especially during the powerplay, but Gaikwad’s approach has often looked dated over the course of the season compared to his fearless batting around the league. The timing of the shifts made control even tighter. CSK went into the match needing a win to keep their play-off hopes in check, but their skipper failed to provide the urgency while the SRH batsmen later chased the target with much more clarity and aggression. Ishan Kishan led Hyderabad’s chase with a fluent 70 off 47 balls, while Heinrich Klaasen smashed 47 off just 26 deliveries as SRH reached 181 in 19 overs and officially qualified for the play-offs. In contrast, Gaikwad’s innings has become emblematic of CSK’s struggles this season – cautious batting, slow starts and an inability to keep up with the pace that modern T20 cricket now demands. Despite the criticism, Fleming insisted the franchise remains committed to Gaikwad as captain and urged patience during the transition from the MS Dhoni era. “It’s a big transition from having one of the best captains (MS Dhoni) in cricket to lead the franchise for such a long time, to a new captain,” Fleming said. “So it’s going to take a while. But with CSK now staring at a third season in a row without a guaranteed playoff spot, patience is running thin among fans. The five-time champions are still mathematically alive, but qualification now depends not only on winning their last league game but also on favorable results elsewhere.